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===========================
Summary
-------
Common-Flow is an attempt to gather a sensible selection of the most common
usage patterns of git into a single and concise specification. It is based on
the [original variant](http://scottchacon.com/2011/08/31/github-flow.html)
of [GitHub Flow](https://guides.github.com/introduction/flow/), while taking
into account how a lot of open source projects use git.
In short, Common-Flow is essentially GitHub Flow with the addition of versioned
releases, optional release branches, and without the requirement to deploy to
production all the time.
Terminology
-----------
- **Master Branch** - Must be named &quot;master&quot;, must always have passing tests,
and is not guaranteed to always work in production environments.
- **Change Branches** - Any branch that introduces changes like a new feature, a
bug fix, etc.
- **Source Branch** - The branch that a change branch was created from. New
changes in the source branch should be incorporated into the change branch via
rebasing.
- **Merge Target** - A branch that is the intended merge target for a change
branch. Typically the merge target branch will be the same as the source
branch.
- **Pull Request** - A means of requesting that a change branch is merged in to
its merge target, allowing others to review, discuss and approve the changes.
- **Release** - May be considered safe to use in production environments. Is
effectively just a git tag named after the version of the release.
- **Release Branches** - Used both for short-term preparations of a release, and
also for long-term maintenance of older version.
Git Common-Flow Specification (Common-Flow)
-------------------------------------------
The key words &quot;MUST&quot;, &quot;MUST NOT&quot;, &quot;REQUIRED&quot;, &quot;SHALL&quot;, &quot;SHALL NOT&quot;, &quot;SHOULD&quot;,
&quot;SHOULD NOT&quot;, &quot;RECOMMENDED&quot;, &quot;MAY&quot;, and &quot;OPTIONAL&quot; in this document are to be
interpreted as described in [RFC 2119](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2119).
1. TL;DR
1. Don&#39;t break the master branch.
2. A release is a git tag.
2. The Master Branch
1. A branch named &quot;master&quot; MUST exist and it MUST be referred to as the
&quot;master branch&quot;.
2. The master branch MUST always be in a non-broken state with its test
suite passing.
4. The master branch IS NOT guaranteed to always work in production
environments. Despite test suites passing it may at times contain
unfinished work. Only releases may be considered safe for production use.
5. The master branch SHOULD always be in a &quot;as near as possibly ready for
release/production&quot; state to reduce any friction with creating a new
release.
3. Change Branches
1. Each change (feature, bugfix, etc.) MUST be performed on separate
branches that SHOULD be referred to as &quot;change branches&quot;.
2. All change branches MUST have descriptive names.
3. It is RECOMMENDED that you commit often locally, and that you try and
keep the commits reasonably structured to avoid a messy and confusing git
history.
4. You SHOULD regularly push your work to the same named branch on the
remote server.
5. You SHOULD create separate change branches for each distinctly different
change. You SHOULD NOT include multiple unrelated changes into a single
change branch.
6. When a change branch is created, the branch that it is created from
SHOULD be referred to as the &quot;source branch&quot;. Each change branch also
needs a designated &quot;merge target&quot; branch, typically this will be the same
as the source branch.
7. Change branches MUST be regularly updated with any changes from their
source branch. This MUST be done by rebasing the change branch on top of
the source branch.
8. After updating a change branch from its source branch you MUST push the
change branch to the remote server. Due to the nature of rebasing, you
will be required to do a force push, and you MUST use the
&quot;--force-with-lease&quot; git push option when doing so instead of the regular
&quot;--force&quot;.
9. If there is a truly valid technical reason to not use rebase when
updating change branches, then you can update change branches via merge
instead of rebase. The decision to use merge MUST only be taken after all
possible options to use rebase have been tried and failed. People not
understanding how to use rebase is NOT a valid reason to use merge. If
you do decide to use merge instead of rebase, you MUST NOT use a mixture
of both methods, pick one and stick to it.
4. Pull Requests
1. To merge a change branch into its merge target, you MUST open a &quot;pull
request&quot; (or equivalent).
2. The purpose of a pull request is to allow others to review your changes
and give feedback. You can then fix any issues, complaints, and more that
might arise, and then let people review again.
3. Before creating a pull request, it is RECOMMENDED that you consider the
state of your change branch&#39;s commit history. If it is messy and
confusing, it might be a good idea to rebase your branch with &quot;git rebase
-i&quot; to present a cleaner and easier to follow commit history for your
reviewers.
4. A pull request MUST only be merged when the change branch is up-to-date
with its source branch, the test suite is passing, and you and others are
happy with the change. This is especially important if the merge target
is the master branch.
5. To get feedback, help, or generally just discuss a change branch with
others, the RECOMMENDED way to do so is by creating a pull request and
discuss the changes with others there.
5. Versioning
1. A &quot;version string&quot; is a typically mostly numeric string that identifies a
specific version of a project. The version string itself MUST NOT have a
&quot;v&quot; prefix, but the version string can be displayed with a &quot;v&quot; prefix to
indicate it is a version that is being referred to.
2. The source of truth for a project&#39;s version MUST be a git tag with a name
based on the version string. This kind of tag MUST be referred to as a
&quot;release tag&quot;.
3. It is OPTIONAL, but RECOMMENDED to also keep the version string
hard-coded somewhere in the project code-base.
4. If you hard-code the version string into the code-base, it is RECOMMENDED
that you do so in a file called &quot;VERSION&quot; located in the root of the
project. But be mindful of the conventions of your programming language
and community when choosing if, where and how to hard-code the version
string.
5. If you are using a &quot;VERSION&quot; file in the root of the project, this file
MUST only contain the exact version string, meaning it MUST NOT have a
&quot;v&quot; prefix. For example &quot;v2.11.4&quot; is bad, and &quot;2.11.4&quot; is good.
6. It is OPTIONAL, but RECOMMENDED that that the version string follows
Semantic Versioning (&lt;http://semver.org/&gt;).
6. Releases
1. To create a new release, you MUST create a git tag named as the exact
version string of the release. This kind of tag MUST be referred to as a
&quot;release tag&quot;.
2. The release tag name can OPTIONALLY be prefixed with &quot;v&quot;. For example the
tag name can be either &quot;2.11.4&quot; or &quot;v2.11.4&quot;. It is however RECOMMENDED
that you do not use a &quot;v&quot; prefix. You MUST NOT use a mixture of &quot;v&quot;
prefixed and non-prefixed tags. Pick one form and stick to it.
3. If the version string is hard-coded into the code-base, you MUST create a
&quot;version bump&quot; commit which changes the hard-coded version string of the
project.
4. When using version bump commits, the release tag MUST be placed on the
version bump commit.
5. If you are not using a release branch, then the release tag, and if
relevant the version bump commit, MUST be created directly on the master
branch.
6. The version bump commit SHOULD have a commit message title of &quot;Bump
version to VERSION&quot;. For example, if the new version string is &quot;2.11.4&quot;,
the first line of the commit message SHOULD read: &quot;Bump version to
2.11.4&quot;
7. It is RECOMMENDED that release tags are lightweight tags, but you can
OPTIONALLY use annotated tags if you want to include changelog
information in the release tag itself.
8. If you use annotated release tags, the first line of the annotation
SHOULD read &quot;Release VERSION&quot;. For example for version &quot;2.11.4&quot; the first
line of the tag annotation SHOULD read &quot;Release 2.11.4&quot;. The second line
MUST be blank, and the changelog MUST start on the third line.
7. Short-Term Release Branches
1. Any branch that has a name starting with &quot;release-&quot; SHOULD be referred to
as a &quot;release branch&quot;.
2. Any release branch which has a name ending with a specific version
string, MUST be referred to as a &quot;short-term release branch&quot;.
3. Use of short-term release branches are OPTIONAL, and intended to be used
to create a specific versioned release.
4. A short-term release branch is RECOMMENDED if there is a lengthy
pre-release verification process to avoid a code freeze on the master
branch.
5. Short-term release branches MUST have a name of &quot;release-VERSION&quot;. For
example for version &quot;2.11.4&quot; the release branch name MUST be
&quot;release-2.11.4&quot;.
6. When using a short-term release branch to create a release, the release
tag and if used, version bump commit, MUST be placed directly on the
short-term release branch itself.
7. Only very minor changes should be performed on a short-term release
branch directly. Any larger changes SHOULD be done in the master branch,
and SHOULD be pulled into the release branch by rebasing it on top of the
master branch the same way a change branch pulls in updates from its
source branch.
8. After a release tag has been created, the release branch MUST be merged
back into its source branch and then deleted. Typically the source branch
will be the master branch.
8. Long-term Release Branches
1. Any release branch which has a name ending with a non-specific version
string, MUST be referred to as a &quot;long-term release branch&quot;. For example
&quot;release-2.11&quot; is a long-term release branch, while &quot;release-2.11.4&quot; is a
short-term release branch.
2. Use of long-term release branches are OPTIONAL, and intended for work on
versions which are not currently part of the master branch. Typically
this is useful when you need to create a new maintenance release for a
older version.
3. A long-term release branch MUST have a name with a non-specific version
number. For example a long-term release branch for creating new 2.9.x
releases MUST be named &quot;release-2.9&quot;.
4. Long-term release branches for maintenance releases of older versions
MUST be created from the relevant release tag. For example if the master
branch is on version 2.11.4 and there is a security fix for all 2.9.x
releases, the latest of which is &quot;2.9.7&quot;. Create a new branch called
&quot;release-2.9&quot; off of the &quot;2.9.7&quot; release tag. The security fix release
will then end up being version &quot;2.9.8&quot;.
5. To create a new release from a long-term release branch, you MUST follow
the same process as a release from the master branch, except the
long-term release branch takes the place of the master branch.
7. A long-term release branch should be treated with the same respect as the
master branch. It is effectively the master branch for the release series
in question. Meaning it MUST always be in a non-broken state, MUST NOT be
force pushed to, etc.
9. Bug Fixes &amp; Rollback
1. You MUST NOT under any circumstances force push to the master branch or
to long-term release branches.
2. If a change branch which has been merged into the master branch is found
to have a bug in it, the bug fix work MUST be done as a new separate
change branch and MUST follow the same workflow as any other change
branch.
3. If a change branch is wrongfully merged into master, or for any other
reason the merge must be undone, you MUST undo the merge by reverting the
merge commit itself. Effectively creating a new commit that reverses all
the relevant changes.
10. Git Best Practices
1. All commit messages SHOULD follow the Commit Guidelines and format from
the official git
documentation:
&lt;https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2/Distributed-Git-Contributing-to-a-Project#_commit_guidelines&gt;
2. You SHOULD never blindly commit all changes with &quot;git commit -a&quot;. It is
RECOMMENDED you use &quot;git add -i&quot; or &quot;git add -p&quot; to add individual
changes to the staging area so you are fully aware of what you are
committing.
3. You SHOULD always use &quot;--force-with-lease&quot; when doing a force push. The
regular &quot;--force&quot; option is dangerous and destructive. More
information:
&lt;https://developer.atlassian.com/blog/2015/04/force-with-lease/&gt;
4. You SHOULD understand and be comfortable with
rebasing: &lt;https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2/Git-Branching-Rebasing&gt;
5. It is RECOMMENDED that you always do &quot;git pull --rebase&quot; instead of &quot;git
pull&quot; to avoid unnecessary merge commits. You can make this the default
behavior of &quot;git pull&quot; with &quot;git config --global pull.rebase true&quot;.
6. It is RECOMMENDED that all branches be merged using &quot;git merge --no-ff&quot;.
This makes sure the reference to the original branch is kept in the
commits, allows one to revert a merge by reverting a single merge commit,
and creates a merge commit to mark the integration of the branch with
master.
FAQ
---
### Why use Common-Flow instead of Git Flow, and how does it differ?
Common-Flow tries to be a lot less complicated than Git Flow by having fewer
types of branches, and simpler rules. Normal day to day development doesn&#39;t
really change much:
- You create change branches instead of feature branches, without the need of a
&quot;feature/&quot; or &quot;change/&quot; prefix in the branch name.
- Change branches are typically created off of and merged back into &quot;master&quot;
instead of &quot;develop&quot;.
- Creating a release is done by simply creating a git tag, typically on the
master branch.
In detail, the main differences between Git Flow and Common-Flow are:
- There is no &quot;develop&quot; branch, there is only a &quot;master&quot; branch which contains
the latest work. In Git Flow the master branch effectively ends up just being
a pointer to the latest release, despite the fact that Git Flow includes
release tags too. In Common-Flow you just look at the tags to find the latest
release.
- There are no &quot;feature&quot; or &quot;hotfix&quot; branches, there&#39;s only &quot;change&quot;
branches. Any branch that is not master and introduces changes is a change
branch. Change branches also don&#39;t have a enforced naming convention, they
just have to have a &quot;descriptive name&quot;. This makes things simpler and allows
more flexibility.
- Release branches are available, but optional. Instead of enforcing the use of
release branches like Git Flow, Common-Flow only recommends the use of release
branches when it makes things easier. If creating a new release by tagging
&quot;master&quot; works for you, great, do that.
### Why use Common-Flow instead of GitHub Flow, and how does it differ?
Common-Flow is essentially GitHub Flow with the addition of a &quot;Release&quot; concept
that uses tags. It also attempts to define how certain common tasks are done,
like updating change/feature branches from their source branches for
example. This is to help end arguments about how such things are done.
If a deployment/release for you is just getting the latest code in the master
branch out, without caring about bumping version numbers or anything, then
GitHub Flow is a good fit for you, and you probably don&#39;t need the extras of
Common-Flow.
However if your deployments/releases have specific version numbers, then
Common-Flow gives you a simple set of rules of how to create and manage
releases, on top of what GitHub Flow already does.
### What does &quot;descriptive name&quot; mean for change branches?
It means what it sounds like. The name should be descriptive, as in by just
reading the name of the branch you should understand what the branch&#39;s purpose
is and what it does. Here&#39;s a few examples:
- add-2fa-support
- fix-login-issue
- remove-sort-by-middle-name-functionality
- update-font-awesome
- change-search-behavior
- tweak-footer-style
Notice how none of these have any prefixes like &quot;feature/&quot; or &quot;hotfix/&quot;, they&#39;re
not needed when branch names are properly descriptive. However there&#39;s nothing
to say you can&#39;t use such prefixes if you want. That also means that you can add
ticket number prefixes if your team/org has that as part of it&#39;s process.
### How do we release an emergency hotfix when the master branch is broken?
This should ideally never happen, however if it does you can do one of the
following:
- Review why the master branch is broken and revert the changes that caused the
issues. Then apply the hotfix and release.
- Or use a short-term release branch created from the latest release tag instead
of the master branch. Apply the hotfix to the release branch, create a release
tag on the release branch, and then merge it back into master.
In this situation, it is recommended you try to revert the offending changes
that&#39;s preventing a new release from master. But if that proves to be a
complicated task and you&#39;re short on time, a short-term release branch gives you
a instant fix to the situation at hand, and let&#39;s you resolve the issues with
the master branch when you have more time on your hands.
About
-----
The Git Common-Flow specification is authored
by [Jim Myhrberg](http://jimeh.me).
If you&#39;d like to leave feedback,
please [open an issue on GitHub](https://github.com/jimeh/common-flow/issues).
License
-------
[Creative Commons - CC BY 3.0](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/)
</div> <!-- Highlighted code --> <div id="markdown-content" class="[&_pre]:overflow-x-auto [&_pre]:rounded-xl [&_pre]:p-6
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dark:[&_pre]:border-neutral-800"><pre class="shiki shiki-themes github-light github-dark" style="background-color:#fff;--shiki-dark-bg:#24292e;color:#24292e;--shiki-dark:#e1e4e8" tabindex="0"><code><span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">Git Common-Flow 1.0.0-rc.4</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#005CC5;--shiki-light-font-weight:bold;--shiki-dark:#79B8FF;--shiki-dark-font-weight:bold">===========================</span></span>
<span class="line"></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">Summary</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#005CC5;--shiki-light-font-weight:bold;--shiki-dark:#79B8FF;--shiki-dark-font-weight:bold">-------</span></span>
<span class="line"></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">Common-Flow is an attempt to gather a sensible selection of the most common</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">usage patterns of git into a single and concise specification. It is based on</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">the [</span><span style="color:#032F62;--shiki-light-text-decoration:underline;--shiki-dark:#DBEDFF;--shiki-dark-text-decoration:underline">original variant</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">](</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-light-text-decoration:underline;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8;--shiki-dark-text-decoration:underline">http://scottchacon.com/2011/08/31/github-flow.html</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">)</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">of [</span><span style="color:#032F62;--shiki-light-text-decoration:underline;--shiki-dark:#DBEDFF;--shiki-dark-text-decoration:underline">GitHub Flow</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">](</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-light-text-decoration:underline;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8;--shiki-dark-text-decoration:underline">https://guides.github.com/introduction/flow/</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">), while taking</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">into account how a lot of open source projects use git.</span></span>
<span class="line"></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">In short, Common-Flow is essentially GitHub Flow with the addition of versioned</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">releases, optional release branches, and without the requirement to deploy to</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">production all the time.</span></span>
<span class="line"></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">Terminology</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#005CC5;--shiki-light-font-weight:bold;--shiki-dark:#79B8FF;--shiki-dark-font-weight:bold">-----------</span></span>
<span class="line"></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70">-</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-light-font-weight:bold;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8;--shiki-dark-font-weight:bold"> **Master Branch**</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> - Must be named "master", must always have passing tests,</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> and is not guaranteed to always work in production environments.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70">-</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-light-font-weight:bold;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8;--shiki-dark-font-weight:bold"> **Change Branches**</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> - Any branch that introduces changes like a new feature, a</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> bug fix, etc.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70">-</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-light-font-weight:bold;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8;--shiki-dark-font-weight:bold"> **Source Branch**</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> - The branch that a change branch was created from. New</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> changes in the source branch should be incorporated into the change branch via</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> rebasing.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70">-</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-light-font-weight:bold;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8;--shiki-dark-font-weight:bold"> **Merge Target**</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> - A branch that is the intended merge target for a change</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> branch. Typically the merge target branch will be the same as the source</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> branch.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70">-</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-light-font-weight:bold;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8;--shiki-dark-font-weight:bold"> **Pull Request**</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> - A means of requesting that a change branch is merged in to</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> its merge target, allowing others to review, discuss and approve the changes.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70">-</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-light-font-weight:bold;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8;--shiki-dark-font-weight:bold"> **Release**</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> - May be considered safe to use in production environments. Is</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> effectively just a git tag named after the version of the release.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70">-</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-light-font-weight:bold;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8;--shiki-dark-font-weight:bold"> **Release Branches**</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> - Used both for short-term preparations of a release, and</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> also for long-term maintenance of older version.</span></span>
<span class="line"></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">Git Common-Flow Specification (Common-Flow)</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#005CC5;--shiki-light-font-weight:bold;--shiki-dark:#79B8FF;--shiki-dark-font-weight:bold">-------------------------------------------</span></span>
<span class="line"></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT", "SHOULD",</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">"SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this document are to be</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">interpreted as described in [</span><span style="color:#032F62;--shiki-light-text-decoration:underline;--shiki-dark:#DBEDFF;--shiki-dark-text-decoration:underline">RFC 2119</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">](</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-light-text-decoration:underline;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8;--shiki-dark-text-decoration:underline">https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2119</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">).</span></span>
<span class="line"></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70">1.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> TL;DR</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 1.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> Don't break the master branch.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 2.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> A release is a git tag.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70">2.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> The Master Branch</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 1.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> A branch named "master" MUST exist and it MUST be referred to as the</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> "master branch".</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 2.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> The master branch MUST always be in a non-broken state with its test</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> suite passing.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 4.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> The master branch IS NOT guaranteed to always work in production</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> environments. Despite test suites passing it may at times contain</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> unfinished work. Only releases may be considered safe for production use.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 5.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> The master branch SHOULD always be in a "as near as possibly ready for</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> release/production" state to reduce any friction with creating a new</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> release.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70">3.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> Change Branches</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 1.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> Each change (feature, bugfix, etc.) MUST be performed on separate</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> branches that SHOULD be referred to as "change branches".</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 2.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> All change branches MUST have descriptive names.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 3.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> It is RECOMMENDED that you commit often locally, and that you try and</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> keep the commits reasonably structured to avoid a messy and confusing git</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> history.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 4.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> You SHOULD regularly push your work to the same named branch on the</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> remote server.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 5.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> You SHOULD create separate change branches for each distinctly different</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> change. You SHOULD NOT include multiple unrelated changes into a single</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> change branch.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 6.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> When a change branch is created, the branch that it is created from</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> SHOULD be referred to as the "source branch". Each change branch also</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> needs a designated "merge target" branch, typically this will be the same</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> as the source branch.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 7.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> Change branches MUST be regularly updated with any changes from their</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> source branch. This MUST be done by rebasing the change branch on top of</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> the source branch.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 8.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> After updating a change branch from its source branch you MUST push the</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> change branch to the remote server. Due to the nature of rebasing, you</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> will be required to do a force push, and you MUST use the</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> "--force-with-lease" git push option when doing so instead of the regular</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> "--force".</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 9.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> If there is a truly valid technical reason to not use rebase when</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> updating change branches, then you can update change branches via merge</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> instead of rebase. The decision to use merge MUST only be taken after all</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> possible options to use rebase have been tried and failed. People not</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> understanding how to use rebase is NOT a valid reason to use merge. If</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> you do decide to use merge instead of rebase, you MUST NOT use a mixture</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> of both methods, pick one and stick to it.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70">4.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> Pull Requests</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 1.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> To merge a change branch into its merge target, you MUST open a "pull</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> request" (or equivalent).</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 2.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> The purpose of a pull request is to allow others to review your changes</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> and give feedback. You can then fix any issues, complaints, and more that</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> might arise, and then let people review again.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 3.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> Before creating a pull request, it is RECOMMENDED that you consider the</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> state of your change branch's commit history. If it is messy and</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> confusing, it might be a good idea to rebase your branch with "git rebase</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> -i" to present a cleaner and easier to follow commit history for your</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> reviewers.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 4.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> A pull request MUST only be merged when the change branch is up-to-date</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> with its source branch, the test suite is passing, and you and others are</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> happy with the change. This is especially important if the merge target</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> is the master branch.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 5.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> To get feedback, help, or generally just discuss a change branch with</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> others, the RECOMMENDED way to do so is by creating a pull request and</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> discuss the changes with others there.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70">5.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> Versioning</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 1.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> A "version string" is a typically mostly numeric string that identifies a</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> specific version of a project. The version string itself MUST NOT have a</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> "v" prefix, but the version string can be displayed with a "v" prefix to</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> indicate it is a version that is being referred to.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 2.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> The source of truth for a project's version MUST be a git tag with a name</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> based on the version string. This kind of tag MUST be referred to as a</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> "release tag".</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 3.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> It is OPTIONAL, but RECOMMENDED to also keep the version string</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> hard-coded somewhere in the project code-base.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 4.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> If you hard-code the version string into the code-base, it is RECOMMENDED</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> that you do so in a file called "VERSION" located in the root of the</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> project. But be mindful of the conventions of your programming language</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> and community when choosing if, where and how to hard-code the version</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> string.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 5.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> If you are using a "VERSION" file in the root of the project, this file</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> MUST only contain the exact version string, meaning it MUST NOT have a</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> "v" prefix. For example "v2.11.4" is bad, and "2.11.4" is good.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 6.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> It is OPTIONAL, but RECOMMENDED that that the version string follows</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> Semantic Versioning (&#x3C;</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-light-text-decoration:underline;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8;--shiki-dark-text-decoration:underline">http://semver.org/</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">>).</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70">6.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> Releases</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 1.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> To create a new release, you MUST create a git tag named as the exact</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> version string of the release. This kind of tag MUST be referred to as a</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> "release tag".</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 2.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> The release tag name can OPTIONALLY be prefixed with "v". For example the</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> tag name can be either "2.11.4" or "v2.11.4". It is however RECOMMENDED</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> that you do not use a "v" prefix. You MUST NOT use a mixture of "v"</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> prefixed and non-prefixed tags. Pick one form and stick to it.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 3.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> If the version string is hard-coded into the code-base, you MUST create a</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> "version bump" commit which changes the hard-coded version string of the</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> project.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 4.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> When using version bump commits, the release tag MUST be placed on the</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> version bump commit.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 5.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> If you are not using a release branch, then the release tag, and if</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> relevant the version bump commit, MUST be created directly on the master</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> branch.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 6.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> The version bump commit SHOULD have a commit message title of "Bump</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> version to VERSION". For example, if the new version string is "2.11.4",</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> the first line of the commit message SHOULD read: "Bump version to</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> 2.11.4"</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 7.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> It is RECOMMENDED that release tags are lightweight tags, but you can</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> OPTIONALLY use annotated tags if you want to include changelog</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> information in the release tag itself.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 8.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> If you use annotated release tags, the first line of the annotation</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> SHOULD read "Release VERSION". For example for version "2.11.4" the first</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> line of the tag annotation SHOULD read "Release 2.11.4". The second line</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> MUST be blank, and the changelog MUST start on the third line.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70">7.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> Short-Term Release Branches</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 1.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> Any branch that has a name starting with "release-" SHOULD be referred to</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> as a "release branch".</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 2.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> Any release branch which has a name ending with a specific version</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> string, MUST be referred to as a "short-term release branch".</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 3.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> Use of short-term release branches are OPTIONAL, and intended to be used</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> to create a specific versioned release.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 4.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> A short-term release branch is RECOMMENDED if there is a lengthy</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> pre-release verification process to avoid a code freeze on the master</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> branch.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 5.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> Short-term release branches MUST have a name of "release-VERSION". For</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> example for version "2.11.4" the release branch name MUST be</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> "release-2.11.4".</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 6.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> When using a short-term release branch to create a release, the release</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> tag and if used, version bump commit, MUST be placed directly on the</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> short-term release branch itself.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 7.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> Only very minor changes should be performed on a short-term release</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> branch directly. Any larger changes SHOULD be done in the master branch,</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> and SHOULD be pulled into the release branch by rebasing it on top of the</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> master branch the same way a change branch pulls in updates from its</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> source branch.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 8.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> After a release tag has been created, the release branch MUST be merged</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> back into its source branch and then deleted. Typically the source branch</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> will be the master branch.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70">8.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> Long-term Release Branches</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 1.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> Any release branch which has a name ending with a non-specific version</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> string, MUST be referred to as a "long-term release branch". For example</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> "release-2.11" is a long-term release branch, while "release-2.11.4" is a</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> short-term release branch.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 2.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> Use of long-term release branches are OPTIONAL, and intended for work on</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> versions which are not currently part of the master branch. Typically</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> this is useful when you need to create a new maintenance release for a</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> older version.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 3.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> A long-term release branch MUST have a name with a non-specific version</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> number. For example a long-term release branch for creating new 2.9.x</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> releases MUST be named "release-2.9".</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 4.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> Long-term release branches for maintenance releases of older versions</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> MUST be created from the relevant release tag. For example if the master</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> branch is on version 2.11.4 and there is a security fix for all 2.9.x</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> releases, the latest of which is "2.9.7". Create a new branch called</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> "release-2.9" off of the "2.9.7" release tag. The security fix release</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> will then end up being version "2.9.8".</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 5.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> To create a new release from a long-term release branch, you MUST follow</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> the same process as a release from the master branch, except the</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> long-term release branch takes the place of the master branch.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 7.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> A long-term release branch should be treated with the same respect as the</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> master branch. It is effectively the master branch for the release series</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> in question. Meaning it MUST always be in a non-broken state, MUST NOT be</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> force pushed to, etc.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70">9.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> Bug Fixes &#x26; Rollback</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 1.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> You MUST NOT under any circumstances force push to the master branch or</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> to long-term release branches.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 2.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> If a change branch which has been merged into the master branch is found</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> to have a bug in it, the bug fix work MUST be done as a new separate</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> change branch and MUST follow the same workflow as any other change</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> branch.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 3.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> If a change branch is wrongfully merged into master, or for any other</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> reason the merge must be undone, you MUST undo the merge by reverting the</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> merge commit itself. Effectively creating a new commit that reverses all</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> the relevant changes.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70">10.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> Git Best Practices</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 1.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> All commit messages SHOULD follow the Commit Guidelines and format from</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> the official git</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> documentation:</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> &#x3C;</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-light-text-decoration:underline;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8;--shiki-dark-text-decoration:underline">https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2/Distributed-Git-Contributing-to-a-Project#_commit_guidelines</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">></span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 2.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> You SHOULD never blindly commit all changes with "git commit -a". It is</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> RECOMMENDED you use "git add -i" or "git add -p" to add individual</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> changes to the staging area so you are fully aware of what you are</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> committing.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 3.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> You SHOULD always use "--force-with-lease" when doing a force push. The</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> regular "--force" option is dangerous and destructive. More</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> information:</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> &#x3C;</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-light-text-decoration:underline;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8;--shiki-dark-text-decoration:underline">https://developer.atlassian.com/blog/2015/04/force-with-lease/</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">></span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 4.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> You SHOULD understand and be comfortable with</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> rebasing: &#x3C;</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-light-text-decoration:underline;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8;--shiki-dark-text-decoration:underline">https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2/Git-Branching-Rebasing</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">></span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 5.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> It is RECOMMENDED that you always do "git pull --rebase" instead of "git</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> pull" to avoid unnecessary merge commits. You can make this the default</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> behavior of "git pull" with "git config --global pull.rebase true".</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70"> 6.</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> It is RECOMMENDED that all branches be merged using "git merge --no-ff".</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> This makes sure the reference to the original branch is kept in the</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> commits, allows one to revert a merge by reverting a single merge commit,</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> and creates a merge commit to mark the integration of the branch with</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> master.</span></span>
<span class="line"></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">FAQ</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#005CC5;--shiki-light-font-weight:bold;--shiki-dark:#79B8FF;--shiki-dark-font-weight:bold">---</span></span>
<span class="line"></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#005CC5;--shiki-light-font-weight:bold;--shiki-dark:#79B8FF;--shiki-dark-font-weight:bold">### Why use Common-Flow instead of Git Flow, and how does it differ?</span></span>
<span class="line"></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">Common-Flow tries to be a lot less complicated than Git Flow by having fewer</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">types of branches, and simpler rules. Normal day to day development doesn't</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">really change much:</span></span>
<span class="line"></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70">-</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> You create change branches instead of feature branches, without the need of a</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> "feature/" or "change/" prefix in the branch name.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70">-</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> Change branches are typically created off of and merged back into "master"</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> instead of "develop".</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70">-</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> Creating a release is done by simply creating a git tag, typically on the</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> master branch.</span></span>
<span class="line"></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">In detail, the main differences between Git Flow and Common-Flow are:</span></span>
<span class="line"></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70">-</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> There is no "develop" branch, there is only a "master" branch which contains</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> the latest work. In Git Flow the master branch effectively ends up just being</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> a pointer to the latest release, despite the fact that Git Flow includes</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> release tags too. In Common-Flow you just look at the tags to find the latest</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> release.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70">-</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> There are no "feature" or "hotfix" branches, there's only "change"</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> branches. Any branch that is not master and introduces changes is a change</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> branch. Change branches also don't have a enforced naming convention, they</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> just have to have a "descriptive name". This makes things simpler and allows</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> more flexibility.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70">-</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> Release branches are available, but optional. Instead of enforcing the use of</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> release branches like Git Flow, Common-Flow only recommends the use of release</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> branches when it makes things easier. If creating a new release by tagging</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> "master" works for you, great, do that.</span></span>
<span class="line"></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#005CC5;--shiki-light-font-weight:bold;--shiki-dark:#79B8FF;--shiki-dark-font-weight:bold">### Why use Common-Flow instead of GitHub Flow, and how does it differ?</span></span>
<span class="line"></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">Common-Flow is essentially GitHub Flow with the addition of a "Release" concept</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">that uses tags. It also attempts to define how certain common tasks are done,</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">like updating change/feature branches from their source branches for</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">example. This is to help end arguments about how such things are done.</span></span>
<span class="line"></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">If a deployment/release for you is just getting the latest code in the master</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">branch out, without caring about bumping version numbers or anything, then</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">GitHub Flow is a good fit for you, and you probably don't need the extras of</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">Common-Flow.</span></span>
<span class="line"></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">However if your deployments/releases have specific version numbers, then</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">Common-Flow gives you a simple set of rules of how to create and manage</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">releases, on top of what GitHub Flow already does.</span></span>
<span class="line"></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#005CC5;--shiki-light-font-weight:bold;--shiki-dark:#79B8FF;--shiki-dark-font-weight:bold">### What does "descriptive name" mean for change branches?</span></span>
<span class="line"></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">It means what it sounds like. The name should be descriptive, as in by just</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">reading the name of the branch you should understand what the branch's purpose</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">is and what it does. Here's a few examples:</span></span>
<span class="line"></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70">-</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> add-2fa-support</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70">-</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> fix-login-issue</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70">-</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> remove-sort-by-middle-name-functionality</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70">-</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> update-font-awesome</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70">-</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> change-search-behavior</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70">-</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> tweak-footer-style</span></span>
<span class="line"></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">Notice how none of these have any prefixes like "feature/" or "hotfix/", they're</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">not needed when branch names are properly descriptive. However there's nothing</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">to say you can't use such prefixes if you want. That also means that you can add</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">ticket number prefixes if your team/org has that as part of it's process.</span></span>
<span class="line"></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#005CC5;--shiki-light-font-weight:bold;--shiki-dark:#79B8FF;--shiki-dark-font-weight:bold">### How do we release an emergency hotfix when the master branch is broken?</span></span>
<span class="line"></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">This should ideally never happen, however if it does you can do one of the</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">following:</span></span>
<span class="line"></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70">-</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> Review why the master branch is broken and revert the changes that caused the</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> issues. Then apply the hotfix and release.</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70">-</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> Or use a short-term release branch created from the latest release tag instead</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> of the master branch. Apply the hotfix to the release branch, create a release</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8"> tag on the release branch, and then merge it back into master.</span></span>
<span class="line"></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">In this situation, it is recommended you try to revert the offending changes</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">that's preventing a new release from master. But if that proves to be a</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">complicated task and you're short on time, a short-term release branch gives you</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">a instant fix to the situation at hand, and let's you resolve the issues with</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">the master branch when you have more time on your hands.</span></span>
<span class="line"></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">About</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#005CC5;--shiki-light-font-weight:bold;--shiki-dark:#79B8FF;--shiki-dark-font-weight:bold">-----</span></span>
<span class="line"></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">The Git Common-Flow specification is authored</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">by [</span><span style="color:#032F62;--shiki-light-text-decoration:underline;--shiki-dark:#DBEDFF;--shiki-dark-text-decoration:underline">Jim Myhrberg</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">](</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-light-text-decoration:underline;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8;--shiki-dark-text-decoration:underline">http://jimeh.me</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">).</span></span>
<span class="line"></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">If you'd like to leave feedback,</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">please [</span><span style="color:#032F62;--shiki-light-text-decoration:underline;--shiki-dark:#DBEDFF;--shiki-dark-text-decoration:underline">open an issue on GitHub</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">](</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-light-text-decoration:underline;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8;--shiki-dark-text-decoration:underline">https://github.com/jimeh/common-flow/issues</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">).</span></span>
<span class="line"></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">License</span></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#005CC5;--shiki-light-font-weight:bold;--shiki-dark:#79B8FF;--shiki-dark-font-weight:bold">-------</span></span>
<span class="line"></span>
<span class="line"><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">[</span><span style="color:#032F62;--shiki-light-text-decoration:underline;--shiki-dark:#DBEDFF;--shiki-dark-text-decoration:underline">Creative Commons - CC BY 3.0</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">](</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-light-text-decoration:underline;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8;--shiki-dark-text-decoration:underline">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/</span><span style="color:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8">)</span></span>
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