Getting Started with GitFlow

In this article, Diogo Souza explains GitFlow, a branching model for Git. He demonstrates how to work with GitFlow to create and deploy a feature and a hotfix to GitHub. Chances are that you already work with Git as your default versioning system, and it’s even more likely if you’re an experienced developer. The importance of this technology to the global software community is undeniable, regardless of what programming language you use, your preferences and your experience. Massive open source communities like the ones inhabiting GitHub are possible today thanks to Git. However, even with all the power Git brings up to enable parallel contributions among dozens (sometimes hundreds) of users over the same repositories, it’s still hard to embrace all the different team behavioral compositions out there. Models and standards were born trying to address these situations. As there are so many distinct forms and conditions, there’s no silver bullet to solve all realities at once. You’ll have to analyze your project/team context and, together, decide what’s best. This article takes a closer look at the GitFlow workflow. It demonstrates how to create a new GitHub repository and play around with the workflow so you can check it out in practice.