Working with Branches & Merging in Git

Version control is essential for modern software development, and Git's branching and merging capabilities are at the heart of effective collaboration. Whether working solo or in a team, understanding how to create, switch, and merge branches properly will streamline development and prevent conflicts.

Why Branching is Critical for Teamwork

Branches allow developers to work on features, bug fixes, and experiments independently without interfering with the main codebase. This ensures:

• Parallel Development: Multiple developers can work on different features simultaneously.
• Code Isolation: Changes in one branch do not affect others until merged.
• Safe Experimentation: Developers can test new ideas without modifying stable code.
• Easier Collaboration: Team members can review, modify, and test each other’s work before merging.

Creating and Switching Branches

To work with branches effectively, you need to create and switch between them as needed. Here are the essential commands:

Creating a Branch

shCopy
# Create a new branch named 'feature-branch'
git branch feature-branch

Switching to a Branch

shCopy
# Switch to an existing branch
git checkout feature-branch

# Alternatively, use the modern command
git switch feature-branch

Creating and Switching in One Step

shCopy
git checkout -b feature-branch
# OR
git switch -c feature-branch

Merging Branches & Dealing with Merge Conflicts

Once development on a feature branch is complete, it needs to be merged back into the main branch (often main or develop). This can be done with:

shCopy
# Switch to the main branch
git checkout main

# Merge the feature branch
git merge feature-branch

Merge Conflicts

Sometimes, Git cannot automatically merge changes, resulting in a merge conflict. Git marks the conflicting sections in files like this:

shCopy
<<<<<<< HEAD
Current code in main branch
=======
Code from feature-branch
>>>>>>> feature-branch

To resolve:

1. Manually edit the file to keep the correct version.

2. Remove the conflict markers (<<<<<<<, =======, >>>>>>>).

3. Stage and commit the resolved file:

   shCopy
   git add conflicted-file.txt
   git commit -m "Resolved merge conflict"
   

When to Use Fast-Forward vs. Non-Fast-Forward Merging

Fast-Forward Merge

A fast-forward merge occurs when the target branch has not diverged from the feature branch:

shCopy
git merge --ff feature-branch

This moves the branch pointer forward, avoiding extra merge commits.

Non-Fast-Forward Merge

A non-fast-forward (or true) merge creates a new commit even if a direct linear merge is possible:

shCopy
git merge --no-ff feature-branch

This is useful for preserving a clear history of feature work.

🔹 Hands-on Exercise: Create Feature Branches, Merge Them, and Resolve Conflicts

1. Initialize a repository (if not already done):

   shCopy
   git init my-project
   cd my-project
   echo "Initial content" > file.txt
   git add file.txt
   git commit -m "Initial commit"
   

2. Create and switch to a feature branch:

   shCopy
   git switch -c feature-1
   echo "Feature 1 changes" >> file.txt
   git add file.txt
   git commit -m "Add feature 1 changes"
   

3. Create and switch to another feature branch:

   shCopy
   git switch main
   git switch -c feature-2
   echo "Feature 2 changes" >> file.txt
   git add file.txt
   git commit -m "Add feature 2 changes"
   

4. Merge feature-1 into main:

   shCopy
   git switch main
   git merge feature-1
   

5. Try merging feature-2 and resolve conflicts:

   shCopy
   git merge feature-2
   

   If there is a conflict, manually edit file.txt, remove conflict markers, and commit the resolution.

6. Verify the merged history:

   shCopy
   git log --oneline --graph --all
   

By practicing these commands and workflows, you’ll gain confidence in managing branches and resolving merge conflicts efficiently. Happy coding!