git-modus-operandi

What I've found to be common, best-practice approaches to development with git...

Getting (re)started

Clone repo:

$ git clone https://github.com/<username>/<reponame>.git

Update local branch from remote repo (usually "origin"):

$ git pull origin <branch>

... or

$ git fetch
$ git merge origin/<branch>

Discard changes in your working copy since the latest commit:

$ git reset --hard

Discard changes in your working copy and the latest commit:

$ git reset --hard HEAD~1

Reset your working copy to match the head of its remote branch:

$ git fetch origin
$ git reset --hard origin/<branch>

Feature branching

Create a local feature branch:

$ git checkout -b <feature-branch> <branch>

Switch to / work on / checkout branch:

$ git checkout <branch>

Save local feature branch to remote repo (usually "origin"):

$ git push origin <feature-branch>

Save changes made to feature branch:

$ git add --all
$ git commit -m '<message>'
$ git push origin <feature-branch>

Update feature branch with any recent commits on the base branch (usually "develop"):

$ git checkout <feature-branch>
$ git rebase develop

Incorporate feature into develop branch:

$ git checkout develop
$ git merge --no-ff <feature-branch>
$ git push origin develop

Delete local and remote feature branches:

$ git branch -d <feature-branch>
$ git push origin --delete <feature-branch>

Release branching

Create and save release branch for final tweaks/testing:

$ git checkout -b <release-X.X.X> develop
$ git push origin <release-X.X.X>

When production ready, incorporate it into master branch, and tag it:

$ git checkout master
$ git merge --no-ff <release-X.X.X>
$ git tag -a <vX.X.X> -m 'release version X.X.X'
$ git push origin master
$ git push origin <vX.X.X>

Incorporate final release back into develop, and delete its branch:

$ git checkout develop
$ git merge --no-ff <release-X.X.X>
$ git branch -d <release-X.X.X>
$ git push origin --delete <release-x.x.x>

Hotfix branching

Create and save a new branch to make the fixes on:

$ git checkout -b <hotfix-X.X.Z> master
$ git push origin <hotfix-X.X.Z>

When production ready, incorporate it into master branch, and tag it:

$ git checkout master
$ git merge --no-ff <hotfix-X.X.Z>
$ git tag -a <vX.X.Z> -m 'hotfix X.X.Z'
$ git push origin master
$ git push origin <vX.X.Z>

Incorporate hotfix back into develop, and delete its branch:

$ git checkout develop
$ git merge --no-ff <hotfix-X.X.Z>
$ git branch -d <hotfix-X.X.Z>
$ git push origin --delete <hotfix-X.X.Z>

Resources

• http://nvie.com/posts/a-successful-git-branching-model/

• https://www.atlassian.com/git/tutorials/

Author

Nathaniel Reynolds (nathaniel.reynolds@gmail.com)