Optimizing Your Git Workflow: Sub-Task Branches for Feature Development

When working on a feature branch in Git, especially when tasks are divided into smaller Jira sub-tasks, deciding how to organize your workflow can greatly impact your efficiency and code quality. Should you work directly on the feature branch, or is it better to create sub-branches for each sub-task? Let’s explore the best approach to handle such situations.

The Challenge: Managing Sub-Tasks in a Feature Branch

Imagine you’re working on a feature branch (e.g., fb-1) with multiple Jira sub-tasks. If you’re responsible for only a couple of these sub-tasks, it might feel straightforward to make changes directly on the feature branch. However, this approach can quickly become messy, especially if:

• Multiple team members are contributing to the same feature.
• The changes for each sub-task are complex and need to be reviewed independently.
• Some sub-tasks are delayed or put on hold, but others need to progress.

To avoid these issues, creating dedicated sub-task branches is often the best solution.

The Recommended Workflow: Sub-Task Branches

1. Create Sub-Task Branches from the Feature Branch

For every Jira sub-task, create a dedicated branch derived from the feature branch. This ensures that your work remains isolated and organized.

Example:

Suppose your feature branch is fb-1, and you are working on two sub-tasks: SUB-123 and SUB-124. You can create branches as follows:

# Create a sub-task branch for SUB-123
git checkout -b fb-1-subtask-123 fb-1

# Create a sub-task branch for SUB-124
git checkout -b fb-1-subtask-124 fb-1

Using descriptive branch names that reference the Jira sub-task (e.g., fb-1-subtask-123) helps maintain clarity in your repository.

2. Work on Sub-Task-Specific Changes

Limit your changes in each sub-task branch to the scope of the corresponding Jira sub-task. This makes it easier to:

• Keep changes focused and isolated.
• Avoid introducing unintended side effects.
• Facilitate targeted code reviews.

3. Regularly Merge Sub-Task Branches into the Feature Branch

Once a sub-task is completed, merge the corresponding branch back into the feature branch. This can be done via a pull request (for review) or directly, depending on your team’s workflow.

Example:

# Merge fb-1-subtask-123 into fb-1
git checkout fb-1
git merge fb-1-subtask-123

After merging, test the feature branch to ensure that the integration is smooth and doesn’t break anything.

4. Clean Up Sub-Task Branches After Merging

To keep the repository clean, delete sub-task branches once they’ve been merged into the feature branch.

# Delete the sub-task branch locally
git branch -d fb-1-subtask-123

# Delete the sub-task branch remotely (if pushed)
git push origin --delete fb-1-subtask-123

Advantages of Using Sub-Task Branches

1. Better Organization: Sub-task branches ensure that each unit of work is cleanly separated, making the feature development process more manageable.
2. Easier Code Reviews: Smaller, focused changes in sub-task branches make code reviews quicker and more effective.
3. Minimized Risk: Issues or delays in one sub-task won’t block progress on others, as each has its own branch.
4. Improved Collaboration: Team members can work on different sub-tasks simultaneously without creating conflicts in the main feature branch.
5. Enhanced Traceability: Sub-task branches that reference Jira tickets make it easier to trace specific changes back to their requirements.

When to Work Directly on the Feature Branch

While sub-task branches are highly recommended, there are scenarios where working directly on the feature branch might be acceptable:

• The feature is small and doesn’t have multiple sub-tasks.
• You’re the sole developer working on the feature, and there’s no risk of conflicts or overlapping changes.
• The sub-tasks are so interconnected that separating them into distinct branches would create unnecessary overhead.

In these cases, ensure that your commits are still well-organized and descriptive to maintain clarity.

Summary

For features with multiple sub-tasks, creating sub-task branches from the feature branch is the best practice. It keeps your work organized, reduces risks, and improves collaboration within the team. Follow these steps:

1. Create sub-task branches (e.g., fb-1-subtask-123).
2. Work exclusively on the corresponding sub-task in each branch.
3. Merge completed sub-task branches into the feature branch.
4. Delete sub-task branches after merging to maintain a clean repository.

By adopting this workflow, you’ll ensure a smoother development process, better collaboration, and more maintainable code. Happy coding!