Welcome to GitHub’s Workflow guide

We’re glad you’re here! This guide describes best practices and potential workflows using Git and GitHub.

Goals

A good developer workflow allows developing and shipping innovative and quality software in a fast and secure way.

Branching strategy

Git makes branching fast and “cheap”. This allows new kind of workflows that allow fast parallel development and experimentation.

• Keep your branches close to the main branch
  Even though Git is very efficient and intelligent about merges, the further branches divert, the more likely merge conflicts happen that need to be resolved manually. Therefore we recommend merging your feature branches as soon as possible into the main branch. A powerful technique for allowing this rapid merging is feature flags. In case a branch needs to stay open longer, make sure to update your branches with the latest changes from your main branch.
• Small branches
  Keep your feature branches small and simple. This allows reviewing your pull requests easier and faster. Small topic branches will get merged faster. As mentioned before, feature flags are a powerful technique to allow merging potential large features.

Release strategy

Different type of software requires different type of release strategies. The more often you release your software, the faster you receive feedback from your users and the easier it is to fix your software.

• One version
  Web-based software such as web applications and web services that are running on the internet usually only need one supported version. The GitHub flow is a simple workflow that fosters collaboration, fast movement and easy releasing. The release management may require different solutions depending on the size of the team though.

The Gitflow is another wide known workflow that involves another long-running branch while also detailing the specific workflows of different type of topic branches such as feature, bug or hotfix branches.

• Multiple versions Installable software such as desktop, server or embedded software often requires long-term support of previous major versions. For that kind of software a workflow is required that supports multiple long running branches.

Considerations

• Collaboration Github is a collaboration platform. High performing teams deliver more through collaboration than they could by working separately as individuals. Your workflow should foster collaboration within your teams and across your organization.
• Git confidence An essential part of having your developers being effective and comfortable with your workflow is having your developers feel comfortable with Git. There are various ways of achieving that. Some our providing training, or reading the Pro Git book. 10 Git Problems by GitHub’s Briana Swift is also a great exercise.
• Markdown confidence Collaboration on GitHub includes not just writing code, but writing Markdown in issue and pull request comments, code reviews and documentation files.
• Continuous integration
• Start simple Start with the simplest possible flow and adapt it to your needs. The simpler the workflow, the faster and happier developers usually are and the more time can be spent on innovating and shipping.