Introduction

Why We Should Not Push Directly to the main Branch?

Pushing code directly to the main branch is not recommended due to the following reasons:

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⚠️ Risk of Bugs and Instability

• The main branch is typically the stable branch, often used for production or shared across the team.
• Directly pushing untested code increases the risk of breaking the codebase.

🔎 No Code Review

• Direct pushes bypass the code review process, which is crucial for:
  • Catching errors
  • Improving code quality
  • Ensuring adherence to standards

🔀 Merge Conflicts

• When multiple developers push to the main branch, it increases the chance of merge conflicts.

🚫 Lack of Testing

• Direct pushes skip automated tests (if configured for pull requests).

🛠️ Difficulty in Debugging

• Without isolated feature branches, tracking the source of issues becomes more challenging.

📚 No Documentation of Changes

• Pull Requests (PRs) provide a space to document and discuss changes.

💥 Risk of Breaking Deployments

• If main is tied to CI/CD pipelines, direct pushes can introduce unstable code into production.

👥 No Accountability

• The PR review process ensures peer-reviewed changes, increasing confidence in the codebase.

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✅ Recommended Git Merge Workflow

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📦 Step 1: Create a Development Branch

• Use a feature branch to isolate your changes:

git checkout -b feature/branch-name

• Naming convention: Use meaningful names like:
  • feature/add-login
  • bugfix/fix-typo

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🛠️ Step 2: Work on the Feature

• Make changes and commit frequently with clear messages:

git add .
git commit -m "Add login functionality"

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📤 Step 3: Push the Branch to Remote

• Push the branch to remote for collaboration:

git push origin feature/branch-name

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🔗 Step 4: Open a Pull Request (PR)

• Create a PR from the feature branch to the main branch in your Git hosting service.
• Add a detailed description of the changes, reasons, and context.
• Ensure automated tests pass before requesting a review.

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🧐 Step 5: Wait for Code Review

• Team members will review your PR and suggest changes.
• Make requested changes and commit them:

git add .
git commit -m "Address PR comments"
git push origin feature/branch-name

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✅ Step 6: Merge the Pull Request

• After approval and passing all tests, merge the PR into main.
• Optional: Use a squash merge or rebase for a cleaner commit history.

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📥 Step 7: Pull the Updated main Branch Locally

• Update your local main branch:

git checkout main
git pull origin main

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🗑️ Step 8: Delete the Development Branch

• Remove the branch from the remote repository:

git push origin --delete feature/branch-name

• Delete the branch locally:

git branch -d feature/branch-name

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🧹 Step 9: Prune Deleted Branches

• Clean up references to deleted branches:

git fetch -p

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🎯 Conclusion

By following this structured Git merge workflow, you:

• Enhance code quality
• Promote collaboration
• Prevent breaking changes
• Maintain a clean commit history

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📖 Reference:

• Git Merge Best Practices (YouTube)