Ecosyste.ms: Awesome

An open API service indexing awesome lists of open source software.

Awesome Lists | Featured Topics | Projects

https://github.com/dougsland/merge_early_merge_often

Notes from Merge Early Merge Often
https://github.com/dougsland/merge_early_merge_often

Last synced: 10 days ago
JSON representation

Notes from Merge Early Merge Often

Awesome Lists containing this project

README 

        
# Merge Early, Merge Often



## Table of Contents

1. [Introduction](#introduction)

2. [Merge Early, Merge Often Philosophy](#merge-early-merge-often-philosophy)

   - [Merge Early](#merge-early)

   - [Merge Often](#merge-often)

3. [Benefits of Merging Early and Often](#benefits-of-merging-early-and-often)

   - [Reduced Merge Conflicts](#reduced-merge-conflicts)

   - [Continuous Integration](#continuous-integration)

   - [Faster Feedback Loop](#faster-feedback-loop)

4. [Main Branch Stability and Innovation](#main-branch-stability-and-innovation)

   - [Continuous Integration (CI)](#continuous-integration-ci)

   - [Development and Stable Branches](#development-and-stable-branches)

   - [Feature Branches](#feature-branches)

   - [Stable Tags](#stable-tags)

5. [Conclusion](#conclusion)

6. [Useful Links](#useful-links)



## Introduction



"**Merge early, merge often**" is a software development philosophy, often attributed to Linus Torvalds, creator of the Linux kernel. This approach emphasizes integrating code changes frequently and early in the development process rather than waiting for large or infrequent merges.



## Merge Early, Merge Often Philosophy



### Merge Early



Developers should merge their changes into the main codebase as soon as they have completed a piece of work. This ensures that changes are integrated while they are still small, easier to review, and before they drift too far from the main codebase.



### Merge Often



Regular and frequent merging keeps the codebase up-to-date with contributions from multiple developers. It helps prevent large, complex merges that can introduce conflicts or bugs.



## Benefits of Merging Early and Often



### Reduced Merge Conflicts



Smaller, more frequent merges are less likely to result in significant conflicts.



### Continuous Integration



It encourages continuous testing and integration of changes, improving code stability and quality.



### Faster Feedback Loop



Developers can identify issues with their changes early, leading to quicker fixes.



## Main Branch Stability and Innovation



While "merge early, merge often" can sometimes result in temporary instability or broken code in the main branch, this risk is also one of the greatest drivers of innovation. By encouraging frequent integration, developers can explore new ideas, experiment with different features, and refine their work in a real-world environment. This dynamic approach enables faster iteration and development of cutting-edge solutions, making the development process more adaptive and responsive to change.



Of course, safeguards like Continuous Integration (CI), feature branches, and stable tags help manage any instability, allowing innovation to thrive without compromising the overall quality and reliability of the project.



### Continuous Integration (CI)



Frequent automated testing ensures that as soon as changes are merged, tests are run to catch issues early. While not foolproof, CI can help prevent most broken code from reaching the main branch.



### Development and Stable Branches



Some projects use separate branches, like `develop` for active development and `main` or `master` for stable releases. Merges to the stable branch only occur after thorough testing, ensuring stability for releases.



### Feature Branches



Developers work on feature branches and only merge into the main branch once features are ready and tested. This isolates experimental or unfinished code from the main branch.



### Stable Tags



Even if the main branch experiences instability, stable tags mark specific, well-tested commits that are known to be stable. Users or teams depending on production-quality code can rely on these tags instead of the latest main branch.



## Conclusion



In short, while "merge early, merge often" increases the frequency of changes and could introduce temporary instability in the main branch, good practices such as CI, feature branching, and stable tagging can minimize the impact on overall project stability, all while encouraging a culture of innovation and faster development.



## Useful Links

https://blog.nerdbank.net/2020/01/should-i-merge-or-rebase-in-git  

https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/process/2.Process.html