Git Basics: Branching and Merging

Branches are where the real power of Git shines. They let you experiment without breaking your main codebase.

Creating a Branch

git checkout -b feature/new-feature

This creates a new branch and switches to it immediately.

Working on Your Branch

Make changes, commit them as usual:

git add .
git commit -m "Add new feature"

Your changes are isolated from the main branch until you decide to merge.

Merging Back

When your feature is ready, merge it back:

git checkout main
git merge feature/new-feature

Handling Conflicts

Sometimes Git can’t auto-merge. When that happens:

1. Open the conflicting files
2. Look for <<<<<<< markers
3. Resolve the conflicts manually
4. Stage and commit the resolution

In the final part of this series, we’ll cover working with remote repositories.