In this study, we will learn what Git workflows are. So, let’s start!
What are Git Workflows?
When multiple users work on the same project as a team, they have their own workflow based on the project type, team member preferences, company size, and other factors. If a project has a bigger team, it might be impossible to keep everything under control. Conflicts problems become common, release dates are required to delay, and priorities keep getting updated over time.
To overcome these issues, Git is the first option, as users can implement it in practically every type of workflow. Here, we have listed the most popular types of Git workflow that can help users in business:
- Centralized(basic) Git Workflow
- Feature Branch Git Workflow
- Git Gitflow
- Forking Git Workflow
- Personal Git Workflow
Now, move ahead to understand the above-stated Git workflow types!
1. Centralized(basic) Git Workflow
A centralized Git workflow is also known as Git basic Git workflow, which developers most utilized for projects. It permits all team members to clone and work on the single repository and make changes in the source code directory to the main branch with every update logged history. They can commit to multiple changes, then add them to the central repository for other programmers and save their changes in their own individual work.
This workflow works well when a limited number of developers are working on a project because team members must interact so that many developers do not contribute to similar code simultaneously. For instance, if two developers are required to work on two different functionalities underneath the same project, then the centralized Git workflow is no longer the best method for the team.
Here, we have stated some advantages of centralized Git workflow and disadvantages as well.
Advantages
- Centralized Git workflow is easy to manage.
Disadvantages
- Handles a limited number of developers.
- Single repository utilized by developers.
2. Feature Branch Git Workflow
The centralized workflow is excellent for developing simple projects. However, problems begin to appear if two developers start working on two different functionalities within the same project. The Feature Branch Git workflow is the best option to overcome the stated issue.
The Feature branch Git workflow considers a central repository where the master represents the history of the official project. Developers create a new branch whenever they start working on a new module of the project instead of committing a directory to the master branch. The newly created feature branches have descriptive and different names.
Like other Git workflow, feature branch workflow has some advantages and disadvantages, which are stated as follow:
Advantages
- Feature branch workflow is a simple option for Git flow.
- It is best when developers are required to manage a version in production.
- Reliable for continuous integration and continuous delivery.
Disadvantages
- Not suitable when many versions in production are required.
- Un stabilized the production code.
- It does not have many capabilities to solve anything about the environments, releases, deploy, and issues.
3. Git Gitflow
Gitflow is almost like the feature branch Git Workflow. However, the primary difference between them is that the programmers can create new branches from the developer or master branch in the feature branch Git Workflow. On the other hand, programmers are not permitted to create new branches directory from the master branch in Git Gitflow.
The Gitflow working is better for the traditional release model, where releases are done in terms of week or month. The other advantages and disadvantages of Gitflow are as follows.
Advantages
- Open-source teams have various skill levels.
- It is utilized by multiple distributed.
- Best for dealing with multiple versions in production or already developed products.
Disadvantages
- Releases are difficult to deploy two times a week.
- Extensive features take days for merging purposes and solving issues.
- When the whole work is merged, it becomes difficult to figure out the actual work.
4. Forking Git Workflow
The Forking Git Workflow is different from other popular Git workflows. It gives each programmer their own server-side repository instead of utilizing a single server-side repository to act as the central codebase. Every contributor has two repositories: a server-side repository and a private local one.
Advantages
- Enables big teams to work on complex software.
- More effective for both large and small teams.
Disadvantages
- Only the maintainer has the authority to push to the official repository rather than the programmers.
- It accepts commit from every programmer without giving them write access to the codebase.
5. Personal Git Workflow
Personal Git Workflow has the same as the feature branch workflow. However, it has a little difference: having branches per developer rather than a single branch per feature. This working strategy works well if the project members work on multiple features or handle errors, and each programmer can merge back to the main branch whenever their work is completed.
Advantages
- Offers branches per developer.
- Efficient management of the branches.
- Best for fixing bugs.
- Useful for long-running features.
Disadvantages
- This workflow can work better for small teams.
That’s it! We have provided a brief explanation of Git workflows.
Conclusion
There are different Git workflows that are based on the project type, team member preferences, company size, and many more things. Some of the best Git workflows are “Centralized(basic) Git Workflow”, “Feature Branch Git Workflow”, “Git Gitflow”, “Forking Git Workflow”, and “Personal Git Workflow”. In this study, we have discussed what Git workflows are and checked out some of the best Git workflows.
