Git Branching and Merging

Welcome to the Branching & Merging section of the CodeHarborHub Git Tutorials. Branching is one of Git’s most powerful features — allowing developers to experiment, fix bugs, and work on features without affecting the main code.

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What is a Branch?

A branch in Git is like a separate timeline of your project. Each branch lets you work independently from others — perfect for building new features or fixing bugs safely.

Think of branches as “parallel universes” for your code — you can switch between them anytime without disturbing the main project.

Default Branch

When you create a new Git repository, Git automatically creates a default branch called:

• master (in older versions) or
• main (in newer repositories)

You can rename it anytime using:

git branch -M main

Creating a New Branch

Use this command to create a new branch:

git branch feature-login

This creates a branch called feature-login but doesn’t switch to it yet. To both create and switch at once:

git checkout -b feature-login

You’re now working inside your new branch!

Switching Between Branches

To view all branches in your repository:

git branch

To switch to another branch:

git checkout main

In modern Git versions, you can also use:

git switch main

Merging Branches

When your work in a branch is complete, you’ll want to merge it back into the main branch.

Steps:

1. Switch to the branch you want to merge into:

   git checkout main

2. Merge the feature branch:

   git merge feature-login

3. If everything is fine, Git will perform a fast-forward merge (simple merge).

Merge Conflicts

Sometimes, two branches modify the same part of a file, causing a merge conflict. Git will stop and ask you to resolve it manually.

Example Conflict Marker:

<<<<<<< HEAD
console.log("Hello from main branch");
=======
console.log("Hello from feature branch");
>>>>>>> feature-login

Steps to Fix:

1. Edit the file to keep the correct version.

2. Mark conflict as resolved:

   git add <filename>

3. Complete the merge:

   git commit

Merge conflicts are normal — they simply mean collaboration needs coordination.

Fast-Forward vs Recursive Merge

Merge Type	Description
Fast-Forward Merge	Happens when no new commits exist on the target branch; Git just moves the branch pointer forward.
Recursive Merge	Used when both branches have new commits — Git combines them together.

Deleting Branches

Once you’ve merged a feature branch, you can safely delete it:

git branch -d feature-login

If you want to force-delete it (even if not merged yet):

git branch -D feature-login

Viewing Branch History

Use this to visualize your branches and merges:

git log --oneline --graph --all

Example Output:

* 9e15b3a Merge branch 'feature-login'
|\  
| * 9d0c5b1 Added login feature
* | 2f1e3f9 Updated README
|/  
* 4a8c7f2 Initial commit

Best Practices for Branching

• Create branches per feature — keeps code clean and isolated.
• Use meaningful names — e.g., feature/signup-form or bugfix/navbar-alignment.
• Regularly pull from main — keeps your branch up to date.
• Delete merged branches — avoids clutter.
• Protect main branch on GitHub to prevent accidental pushes.

Team Workflow Example

Here’s how most teams collaborate:

# Developer A
git checkout -b feature-homepage
# works and commits changes

# Developer B
git checkout -b feature-navbar
# works and commits changes

# Both push branches
git push origin feature-homepage
git push origin feature-navbar

# After review, merge them into main via Pull Request

Useful Commands Summary

Command	Description
git branch	List all branches
git branch <name>	Create a new branch
git checkout <branch>	Switch to a branch
git switch <branch>	Switch branch (modern syntax)
git merge <branch>	Merge a branch into current
git branch -d <branch>	Delete a branch
git log --graph --oneline	Visualize branch history

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Next Step

Now that you’ve mastered branching and merging, move on to the next tutorial: 👉 Working with Remote Repositories

Here, you’ll learn how to push, pull, and collaborate using GitHub remotes.

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Additional Resources

• Git Branch Documentation
• Git Merge Documentation
• Atlassian Git Branching Guide
• Learn Git Branching (Interactive)

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💙 This tutorial is part of the CodeHarborHub Git & GitHub learning path — helping developers collaborate, experiment, and innovate with confidence.