Integrating branches

Once you finish working on a feature branch, you typically merge it with a develop branch. You can accomplish this using the git merge or git rebase commands, with different results:

• Merging: Merging creates a new commit that combines the changes from one branch into another branch.
  • Pros
    • Preserves the commit history of both branches, including the context of changes made on each branch.
    • Maintains a clear separation between branches, making it easier to track the development path of individual features.
    • Allows for easy collaboration and visibility of changes through pull requests or merge requests.
  • Cons
    • Can result in the creation of numerous merge commits, cluttering the commit history and potentially making it less concise.
    • Merge conflicts can occur if there are conflicting changes in the files being merged, requiring manual resolution.
    • A more complex branching structure may emerge with multiple branches and merge points.
• Rebasing: Rebasing moves a sequence of commits from one branch to another by replaying them on top of the target branch.
  • Pros
    • Results in a cleaner and linear commit history with a single branch line, making it easier to understand the chronological order of changes.
    • Helps avoid unnecessary merge commits and keeps the commit history concise and focused.
    • Can help resolve conflicts early, as they occur during the rebasing process, allowing for immediate resolution.
  • Cons
    • Alters the commit history, making it challenging to trace the development path of individual features independently.
    • Should not be used on public branches that are shared with other collaborators, as it can cause conflicts for them when they try to update their local branches.
    • Requires careful handling to ensure that rebasing does not introduce unintended changes or conflicts.

Choosing between merging and rebasing depends on the specific use case and project requirements:

• Merge when you want to preserve the individual development history of branches and prioritize clear separation between features.
• Rebase when you want a clean, linear commit history and prioritize a concise and focused branch structure.

Ultimately, both merging and rebasing are powerful tools for integrating branches in Git. The decision of which method to use should be based on the project's needs, collaboration requirements, and the preferences and workflows established within the development team.

To keep your revision history simple, you can rebase the feature branch onto the develop branch before merging it into the develop branch. This results in a fast-forward merge without creating extra merge commits.