Git Merging | Choose the Right Technique for Your Feature Branch

Sometimes, it can be challenging to determine the appropriate Git merging technique to use. In this post, I will try to provide examples for various scenarios to help clarify the different techniques available.

Regular Merge:

Scenario: You are working on a team project where each developer has their own feature branch. You have completed your work on the feature-branch and want to integrate it into the main branch.

# Switch to the target branch
git checkout main

# Perform the merge
git merge feature-branch        

When to use: Regular merge is suitable for integrating independent feature branches into the main branch. It creates a new merge commit that incorporates the changes from the source branch into the target branch, preserving the commit history of both branches.

Fast-Forward Merge:

Scenario: You are working on a feature branch called feature-branch that is based on an outdated version of the main branch. You want to incorporate the latest changes from the main branch into your feature-branch.

# Switch to the feature branch
git checkout feature-branch

# Update the feature branch with the latest changes from the main
git merge main        

When to use: Fast-forward merge is useful when the commit history of the target branch is a direct ancestor of the source branch. It allows you to move the branch pointer forward, incorporating all the changes from the target branch into the source branch. This technique is typically used when you want to bring your feature branch up to date with the latest changes in the target branch.

Merge with Squash:

Scenario: You have been working on a feature branch called feature-branch with multiple small commits. You want to merge the changes into the main branch but prefer a cleaner commit history without individual commit details.

# Switch to the target branch
git checkout main

# Perform the merge with squash
git merge --squash feature-branch

# Commit the changes
git commit -m "Merged feature-branch with squash"        

When to use: Merge with squash is suitable when you want to consolidate multiple commits from a source branch into a single commit on the target branch. This technique provides a more concise and organized commit history, making it easier to review and understand the changes. It is particularly useful when working on feature branches with many small, incremental commits.

In a nutshell, Regular merge is suitable for integrating feature branches, fast-forward merge brings a branch up to date, and merge with squash consolidates multiple commits into a single commit. Consider the specific requirements and goals of your project to determine which merging technique is most appropriate.