GitHub flow (branching)

People use different workflows to contribute to software projects, but the simplest and most effective way to contribute on GitHub is the GitHub flow.

📺 Video: Understanding the GitHub flow

Branches are an important part of the GitHub flow because they allow us to separate our work from the master branch. In other words, everyone's work is safe while you contribute.

📺 Video: Branches

Tips for using branches

A single project can have hundreds of branches, each suggesting a new change to the master branch.

The best way to keep branches organized with a team is to keep them concise and short-lived. In other words, a single branch should represent a single new feature or bug fix. This reduces confusion among contributors when branches are only active for a few days before they’re merged ^📖 into the master branch.

Creating a branch allows you to make modifications to your project without changing the deployed master branch. Once you have a branch, it’s time to create a file and make your commit!

Commits 101

When you’re finished creating or making changes to a file on GitHub, scroll to the bottom of the page. Then find the "Commit new file" section.

In the first field, type a commit message. The commit message should briefly tell contributors about the changes you are introducing to the file.

Rules to live by for commit messages:

• Don’t end your commit message with a period.
• Keep your commit messages to 50 characters or less. Add extra detail in the extended description window if necessary. This is located just below the subject line.
• Use active voice. For example, "add" instead of "added" and "merge" instead of "merged".
• Think of your commit as expressing intent to introduce a change.