Git Workflows: Feature Branches and Collaboration

Feature branches are a simple and reliable way to manage work in a team. They let developers build changes without touching the main codebase. When a feature is ready, the branch goes through review and tests before it becomes part of the product. Clear branches help everyone understand what is being worked on and why.

• Keeps the main line stable
• Encourages small, reviewable changes
• Makes collaboration clearer for teammates

A typical flow helps new and experienced developers. Start from the main branch, create a new feature branch, work with small commits, and request a review before merging.

• Start from main: in your shell, run git checkout main and git pull origin main to get the latest code.
• Create a feature branch: git checkout -b feature/add-search keeps work organized under a descriptive name.
• Work and commit: make focused changes and write clear messages like “Add search filter” or “Fix UI alignment,” then push with git push -u origin feature/add-search.
• Open a pull request: teammates review the changes and suggest improvements. After approval, merge the PR with your team’s preferred strategy.
• Clean up: once merged, delete the branch both locally and remotely with git branch -d feature/add-search and git push origin --delete feature/add-search.

Collaboration benefits from a predictable process. Use issue numbers in branch names, keep PRs small, and require tests or a code review before merging. Decide on a merge strategy—merge commits for a full history, or squash to keep a tidy log. Continuous integration helps catch errors early, and a short feedback loop keeps momentum.

If conflicts appear, keep branches up to date. Regularly fetch and rebase or merge from main: git fetch origin then either git rebase origin/main or git merge origin/main. Resolve any conflicts, then continue with your work.

Deleting old branches after merge reduces clutter. Encourage teammates to rebase rather than force-push when possible, and celebrate clean, well-documented PRs as a team habit.

Key Takeaways

• Feature branches isolate work and protect the main line.
• Regular updates from main prevent large merge conflicts.
• Clear PRs, reviews, and tests lead to smoother collaboration.