feature/PROJ-1234-user-avatar-upload
fix/GH-567-null-pointer-on-empty-cart
hotfix/INC-89-payment-gateway-timeout

main ─────●─────●─────●─────●─────●─────●─────
           \   /       \   /       \   /
            ●─●         ●─●         ●
          (feature)   (fix)     (feature)

# Create branch from main
git checkout main && git pull
git checkout -b feature/PROJ-123-add-search

# Work in small increments, commit frequently
git add -p && git commit -m "Add search index configuration"
git add -p && git commit -m "Implement basic search query endpoint"

# Rebase onto main before merging
git fetch origin && git rebase origin/main

# Merge via PR (squash or merge commit per team convention)
# Delete branch immediately after merge

main     ─────●──────────────────●──────────────
              |                  |
develop  ─────●────●────●────●───●────●─────────
               \  / \  /    |       /
feature         ●●   ●●   release ●
                            \   /
                             ●─●

# 1. Create release branch from develop
git checkout develop && git pull
git checkout -b release/2.4.0

# 2. Only bug fixes, documentation, and release prep on this branch
# No new features allowed

# 3. When stable, merge to main and tag
git checkout main && git merge --no-ff release/2.4.0
git tag -a v2.4.0 -m "Release 2.4.0"

# 4. Back-merge to develop
git checkout develop && git merge --no-ff release/2.4.0

# 5. Delete release branch
git branch -d release/2.4.0

# 1. Branch from main
git checkout main && git pull
git checkout -b hotfix/payment-null-pointer

# 2. Fix the issue, commit

# 3. Merge to both main and develop
git checkout main && git merge --no-ff hotfix/payment-null-pointer
git tag -a v2.4.1 -m "Hotfix: payment null pointer"
git checkout develop && git merge --no-ff hotfix/payment-null-pointer

# 4. Delete hotfix branch
git branch -d hotfix/payment-null-pointer

branch_protection:
  main:
    required_reviews: 1           # At least one approval
    dismiss_stale_reviews: true   # Re-review after new pushes
    require_status_checks: true   # CI must pass
    required_checks:
      - build
      - test
      - lint
    restrict_pushes: true         # No direct pushes
    require_linear_history: true  # Squash or rebase only
    include_administrators: true  # Rules apply to everyone

MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH
  |     |     |
  |     |     └── Bug fixes, no API changes
  |     └──────── New features, backward compatible
  └────────────── Breaking changes

2.4.0-alpha.1      # Alpha pre-release
2.4.0-beta.2       # Beta pre-release
2.4.0-rc.1         # Release candidate
2.4.0+build.1234   # Build metadata (ignored in precedence)

# Annotated tag (preferred for releases)
git tag -a v2.4.0 -m "Release 2.4.0: Add user search, fix cart totals"

# Push tags to remote
git push origin v2.4.0

# Or push all tags
git push origin --tags

1. CREATE    ──  Branch from main/develop with proper prefix
2. DEVELOP   ──  Commit regularly, push daily
3. SYNC      ──  Rebase/merge from upstream regularly
4. REVIEW    ──  Open PR, request review
5. REVISE    ──  Address feedback, push updates
6. MERGE     ──  Squash or merge commit per convention
7. CLEANUP   ──  Delete branch locally and remotely

# Option A: Rebase (cleaner history, use for personal branches)
git fetch origin
git rebase origin/main

# Option B: Merge (preserves history, use for shared branches)
git fetch origin
git merge origin/main

Do you deploy continuously to production?
├── Yes: Do you need PR-based code review?
│   ├── Yes ──► GitHub Flow
│   └── No  ──► Trunk-Based Development
└── No: Do you maintain multiple release versions?
    ├── Yes ──► Git Flow
    └── No: Do you have scheduled release cycles?
        ├── Yes ──► Git Flow (simplified)
        └── No  ──► GitHub Flow