Gitflow is a popular branching model for Git, a version control system used in software development. It provides a structure for managing branches and releases, helping teams to collaborate on code and manage changes more efficiently.
Gitflow consists of two main branches: the master branch and the develop branch. The master branch represents the stable, production-ready version of the code, while the develop branch is used for ongoing development and integration of new features and bug fixes.
In addition to these main branches, Gitflow includes several types of supporting branches:
-
Feature branches: These are created for new features or changes to existing features. Each feature branch is created from the develop branch and merged back into it once the feature is complete.
-
Release branches: These are created for preparing a release of the code. They are created from the develop branch and used for finalizing features and bug fixes before merging into the master branch.
-
Hotfix branches: These are created for fixing critical bugs in the production code. They are created from the master branch and merged back into both the master and develop branches once the fix is complete.
The Gitflow model also includes a set of rules for when and how to create and merge these branches, as well as how to manage conflicts and releases.
Gitflow can be especially useful for software that has long-lived release branches, such as on-premise deployments to customer sites.
Gitflow can be complex and require careful planning and coordination to manage multiple branches and merges effectively. Gitflow to avoid potential issues or conflicts.