9. Practical Example: Using GitFlow

Let's walk through a practical example of using GitFlow for a hypothetical project.

Setting up a project with GitFlow

1. Initialize a new Git repository:

   bashCopy code
   mkdir myproject
   cd myproject
   git init
   

2. Commit an initial empty commit (this helps in setting up the base for branching):

   bashCopy code
   git commit --allow-empty -m "Initial commit"
   

3. Create the develop branch and switch to it:

   bashCopy code
   git checkout -b develop
   

Now you have both master and develop branches, with develop being the one you'll work on.

Developing a new feature

1. Create a new feature branch:

   bashCopy code
   git checkout -b feature/new-awesome-feature develop
   

2. Make changes for the feature and commit them:

   bashCopy code
   echo "This is my new feature" > feature.txt
   git add feature.txt
   git commit -m "Add new awesome feature"
   

3. Once the feature is complete, merge it into the develop branch:

   bashCopy code
   git checkout develop
   git merge --no-ff feature/new-awesome-feature
   git branch -d feature/new-awesome-feature
   

Preparing for a release

1. Create a release branch:

   bashCopy code
   git checkout -b release/1.0.0 develop
   

2. Make any final adjustments needed for the release (like bumping version numbers, updating documentation, etc.) and commit those changes.

3. Once the release is ready, merge it into master and tag it:

   bashCopy code
   git checkout master
   git merge --no-ff release/1.0.0
   git tag -a 1.0.0
   

4. Also, merge the changes back into develop:

   bashCopy code
   git checkout develop
   git merge --no-ff release/1.0.0
   

5. Delete the release branch:

   bashCopy code
   git branch -d release/1.0.0
   

Handling hotfixes

1. Create a hotfix branch from master:

   bashCopy code
   git checkout -b hotfix/1.0.1 master
   

2. Make and commit the hotfix changes:

   bashCopy code
   echo "Hotfix applied" > hotfix.txt
   git add hotfix.txt
   git commit -m "Fix critical issue"
   

3. Merge the hotfix branch into both master and develop:

   bashCopy code
   git checkout master
   git merge --no-ff hotfix/1.0.1
   git tag -a 1.0.1
   
   git checkout develop
   git merge --no-ff hotfix/1.0.1
   

4. Delete the hotfix branch:

   bashCopy code
   git branch -d hotfix/1.0.1
   

Merging back to the main branches

Throughout the GitFlow process, you've been merging changes back to the main branches (master and develop) at the end of each feature, release, or hotfix. This ensures that:

• The master branch always reflects the production-ready state.

• The develop branch always contains the latest delivered and approved features.

By consistently merging back, you ensure that both branches are up-to-date and that features, fixes, and releases are systematically integrated into your project's main lines of development.