FeatureBranches

Feature branches are a version control practice in which a separate branch is created to develop a new feature, fix a bug, or run an experiment, isolating changes from the main codebase. The branch is typically created from the primary development line (for example main or develop) and named with a convention such as feature/<name> or feat/<name>. The aim is to keep the main branch stable while ongoing work proceeds independently.

Within this workflow, developers commit changes to the feature branch, push to the remote repository, and open a merge request or pull request to solicit code review and integration. Continuous integration tests run on the feature branch; after approval, the feature is merged back into the target branch and the branch is commonly deleted. This approach supports parallel work and incremental delivery.

Advantages include isolation of work, clearer code review, safer experimentation, and reduced risk to the main branch. Feature branches also simplify rollback of incomplete functionality and enable focused testing before integration.

Disadvantages include the potential for long-lived branches to drift from the base, causing merge conflicts during integration. They require discipline to keep up-to-date with the base branch via rebasing or regular merges, and over time the accumulation of branches can complicate release management if not pruned.

Best practices include keeping branches small and focused, making frequent, well-described commits, regularly updating from the base branch, and using automated tests and code reviews. Naming conventions should be consistent, and the main branch should be protected to require review before integration. Alternative approaches include trunk-based development or Git Flow, depending on team size, release cadence, and risk tolerance.