Git Best Practices for Team Collaboration

Git

Introduction

Git is the backbone of modern software collaboration. Adopting best practices ensures code quality, smooth teamwork, and reliable releases.

Git Workflows

  • Feature Branch Workflow: Each feature/fix in its own branch.
  • Gitflow Workflow: Structured branching for releases, hotfixes, and features.
  • Forking Workflow: Fork the repo, work independently, then submit pull requests.

Branching Strategies

  • Use clear branch names (e.g., feature/login, bugfix/header)
  • Protect main branches (main, develop)
  • Delete merged branches to keep repo clean

Pull Requests

  • Open PRs for all changes
  • Describe what and why in the PR description
  • Tag reviewers and assign appropriately

Code Review

  • Review for logic, style, and security
  • Be constructive and respectful
  • Approve only when all checks pass

Commit Message Guidelines

  • Use present tense: Fix bug, Add feature
  • Keep messages concise but descriptive
  • Reference issues/tickets when relevant

Handling Merge Conflicts

  • Pull latest changes before merging
  • Resolve conflicts locally, test thoroughly
  • Communicate with team if unsure

Release Management

  • Tag releases (v1.0.0)
  • Maintain changelogs
  • Automate deployments when possible

Automation & CI/CD

  • Use CI/CD pipelines for testing and deployment
  • Automate code formatting and linting
  • Integrate with issue tracking

Security & Access Control

  • Limit write access to main branches
  • Use signed commits for sensitive changes
  • Audit repository for secrets and credentials

Rebasing vs. Merging

Rebase rewrites history for a linear commit tree, while merge preserves all branch history. Use git rebase for clean history, git merge for context.

git checkout feature
# Merge
 git merge main
# Rebase
 git rebase main

Stashing Changes

Temporarily save changes without committing using git stash.

git stash
# List stashes
git stash list
# Apply last stash
git stash apply

Submodules

Include other repositories inside your project.

git submodule add https://github.com/example/lib.git lib

Git Hooks

Automate tasks (linting, tests) on events like commit or push.

.git/hooks/pre-commit
# Add shell script to run tests before commit

Tagging & Versioning

Tag releases for easy reference.

git tag v1.0.0
git push origin v1.0.0

Bisecting for Bug Hunting

Use git bisect to find the commit that introduced a bug.

git bisect start
git bisect bad
git bisect good

Cherry-picking Commits

Apply a specific commit from one branch to another.

git cherry-pick

Managing Large Files (Git LFS)

Track large files efficiently using Git LFS.

git lfs install
git lfs track "*.psd"

Git Aliases

Create shortcuts for common commands.

git config --global alias.co checkout
git co main

Undoing Changes

Reset, revert, or restore changes as needed.

git reset --hard HEAD~1
# Undo last commit
git revert 
# Restore file
git restore file.txt

Working with Remotes

Add, remove, and manage remote repositories.

git remote add origin https://github.com/user/repo.git
git remote -v

Git Configuration & Customization

Customize Git behavior and settings.

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global core.editor "vim"

Best Practices for Open Source Collaboration

  • Fork and submit pull requests
  • Follow contribution guidelines
  • Communicate clearly in issues and PRs

Further Resources

  • Pro Git Book — The official, comprehensive guide to Git, covering everything from basics to advanced workflows.
  • Atlassian Git Tutorials — Practical tutorials and guides for real-world Git usage, including branching, merging, and collaboration.
  • Gitflow Model — Detailed explanation of the Gitflow branching strategy for managing features, releases, and hotfixes.
  • Learn Git Branching (Interactive) — Visual, hands-on tool for mastering branching and merging in Git.
  • Oh My Git! — Open-source interactive Git learning game.
  • Git Cheat Sheet — Quick reference for common Git commands.