8 Git Branch Naming Best Practices
When it comes to git branches, there are a few best practices that you should follow in order to keep your repository clean and organized.
In software development, it is common to have multiple developers working on the same codebase. In order to keep track of all the changes, it is important to have a well-defined naming convention for branches.
There are a few different ways to name branches, but there are some best practices that should be followed in order to keep the codebase clean and organized.
1. Use lowercase letters
When you use lowercase letters for your git branches, it makes them much easier to type. This might seem like a small thing, but it can make a big difference when you’re working on the command line.
It also makes your branch names more consistent with the rest of the Git ecosystem. Most git commands are lowercase, so using lowercase letters for your branches will help keep things consistent.
Finally, using lowercase letters for your branches can help prevent errors. If you try to checkout a branch that has uppercase letters in its name, you might get an error message from Git. By using lowercase letters, you can avoid this problem altogether.
2. Use dashes to separate words
When you’re looking at a list of branches, it’s much easier to scan and understand if the words are separated by dashes. For example, let’s say you have a branch called “fix-typo-on-homepage”. It’s immediately clear that this branch is about fixing a typo that appears on the homepage.
On the other hand, if the branch were named “fixtypoonhomepage”, it would be much harder to understand what the branch is for just by looking at the name. In addition, when branch names are run together like this, it’s easy to misread them, which can lead to mistakes when working with git.
So, to avoid confusion and make your git branches more readable, use dashes to separate words in your branch names.
3. Don’t use spaces in branch names
When you use spaces in branch names, it creates what’s called an “orphan” commit. An orphan commit is a commit that’s not reachable from any other commit in the repository. This can happen if you accidentally create a space in the middle of a branch name when you’re creating a new branch.
If you have an orphan commit, it means that there’s no way to get back to that commit from any other commit in the repository. This can make it very difficult to merge your branches or to revert back to a previous commit.
To avoid this problem, simply don’t use spaces in git branch names.
4. Keep it short and sweet
When you’re working on a project with other people, it’s important to be able to quickly and easily identify which branch is which. If branches are named with long, descriptive names, it can be hard to tell them apart at a glance.
Short, simple names are much easier to work with, both for you and for your collaborators. So when you’re naming a branch, try to keep it under 10 characters if possible, and use lowercase letters and numbers only.
5. Be consistent with your naming convention
If you’re working on a team, it’s important that everyone is using the same naming convention for branches. This will help keep things organized and prevent any confusion down the road.
A good naming convention to use is to prefix your branch names with the type of work you’re doing. For example, if you’re working on a bug fix, you could name your branch “bugfix/my-branch-name”. Or, if you’re working on a new feature, you could name your branch “feature/my-branch-name”.
Using a consistent naming convention will help you and your team stay organized, and it will make it easier to find the branches you’re looking for.
6. Name branches after the Jira ticket number
When a branch is named after the Jira ticket number, it’s easy to track which code changes are associated with which ticket. This is especially helpful when multiple team members are working on the same project and there are many branches being created and merged.
Jira ticket numbers are also unique, so there’s no risk of two branches having the same name. This can be an issue with other naming conventions, such as naming branches after features or user stories.
If your team uses Jira, it’s a good idea to name branches after the Jira ticket number. This will help keep your codebase organized and make it easier to track which code changes are associated with which tickets.
7. Create a new branch for each feature or bug fix
When you have a lot of code in a single branch, it can be difficult to keep track of what changes are related to which features. This can lead to merge conflicts and make it hard to revert individual changes if necessary.
Creating a new branch for each feature or bug fix helps to avoid these problems by keeping the code for each change isolated. This makes it easier to manage your code and ensures that each change can be easily reverted if necessary.
8. Delete old branches
As time goes on and a project evolves, the number of branches can quickly become unmanageable. This is especially true if branches are not properly named or if there is no system in place for deleting old branches.
Not only does this make it difficult to find the branch you’re looking for, but it also clutters up the repository and makes it more difficult to understand the project’s history.
To avoid this problem, it’s important to delete old branches that are no longer needed. This will keep the repository clean and organized, and it will make it easier to find the branches you need.