featurebranchworkflows

Feature branch workflows are a common strategy in software development for managing the process of adding new features to a project. In this model, each new feature is developed in isolation on its own dedicated branch, typically stemming from the main development branch (often called 'main' or 'master'). This isolation is the core principle, allowing developers to work on a feature without interfering with the ongoing development of other features or the stable release version of the software.

When a developer starts working on a new feature, they create a new branch from the main branch. All their code changes, commits, and testing for that specific feature are done exclusively on this branch. This prevents incomplete or unstable code from affecting the main codebase. Other developers can continue to merge their completed features or bug fixes into the main branch while the new feature branch is being developed.

Once the feature is complete and thoroughly tested, it is merged back into the main branch. This merge process is a critical point where the new code is integrated with the rest of the project. Often, this involves a code review process, where other team members examine the code for quality, correctness, and adherence to coding standards before it becomes part of the main development line. This workflow promotes parallel development, reduces merge conflicts, and keeps the main branch stable and deployable.