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5.5 Working with Branches and Commits

Branches let you work on new features, fixes, or experiments without affecting your main codebase. They make it easier to test ideas safely and keep your project history organized.

Understanding Branches​

  • The main branch is your stable, production-ready version.
  • Feature branches allow you to develop and test changes independently.
  • Once your work is reviewed or tested, you can merge it back into main.

Creating and Switching Branches​

To create and switch to a new branch in one step:

git checkout -b feature-branch

💡 Use short, descriptive branch names like feature/login-form or fix/typo-readme.

Making Changes and Committing​

After editing files, add and commit your changes:

git add feature.txt
git commit -m "Add new feature"

You can view your commit history anytime:

git log --oneline

Merging Branches​

Once your work is ready, merge it into the main branch:

git checkout main
git merge feature-branch

If there are no conflicts, Git will automatically combine the changes.

Deleting a Branch​

After merging, you can safely delete the feature branch:

git branch -d feature-branch

If the branch hasn’t been merged and you still want to remove it:

git branch -D feature-branch

Branches help you organize your work and keep your main codebase stable. Use them for every new feature or experiment, and merge regularly to keep your project history clean.