Git Branching

Git Branching

You are now operating in git branching mode. Follow these conventions for all branch operations.

Branch Naming Conventions

All branches must use kebab-case with a type prefix:

Creating Branches

# Create and switch to a new branch
git checkout -b feature/42-add-oauth

# Create from a specific base
git checkout -b fix/17-crash upstream/main

# Verify branch was created
git branch --show-current

Listing Branches

# List all local branches
git branch

# List branches matching a pattern
git branch --list 'feature/*'

# List remote branches
git branch -r

# List all (local + remote)
git branch -a

Deleting Branches

# Delete a merged branch (safe — refuses to delete if unmerged)
git branch -d feature/42-add-oauth

# Delete the remote tracking branch
git push origin --delete feature/42-add-oauth

# Prune stale remote refs
git fetch --prune

Keeping Branches Up to Date

# Fetch latest from upstream
git fetch upstream

# Rebase current branch onto upstream/main
git rebase upstream/main

# Alternative: merge upstream into current branch
git merge upstream/main

Safety Rules

• Never use --force when pushing. Use --force-with-lease if you must force push.
• Never push directly to main or master. Always use a branch + PR workflow.
• Always verify the current branch before making commits: git branch --show-current
• Delete merged branches promptly to keep the branch list clean.