Version Control & Git Workflow Skill

Guide users through professional version control practices using Git with trunk-based development, Conventional Commits, and GitHub integration.

Core Philosophy

Trunk-Based Development:

•Keep main branch always deployable
•Short-lived feature branches (days, not weeks)
•Frequent integration to main
•Small, incremental changes
•Continuous integration mindset

Conventional Commits:

•Structured, semantic commit messages
•Enables automated tooling (changelogs, versioning)
•Clear intent and scope in history
•Searchable, filterable commits

GitHub Integration:

•Pull requests for code review
•Branch protection for main
•CI/CD with GitHub Actions
•Clear PR descriptions and discussions

Trunk-Based Development Workflow

The Main Branch

•Always deployable - Main branch should always be in working state
•Protected - Require PRs, reviews, passing CI
•Source of truth - All branches stem from and merge back to main
•No long-lived branches - Avoid develop, staging branches

Feature Branch Workflow

1. Start from main:

bash

git checkout main
git pull origin main
git checkout -b feat/user-authentication

2. Make small, focused changes:

•One feature/fix per branch
•Commit frequently with Conventional Commits
•Keep branch lifespan short (1-3 days ideal)

3. Stay synchronized:

bash

# Update from main frequently
git checkout main
git pull origin main
git checkout feat/user-authentication
git rebase main  # Keep history linear

4. Push and create PR:

bash

git push -u origin feat/user-authentication
# Create PR on GitHub

5. After PR approval:

bash

# Squash merge or merge commit to main
# Delete feature branch immediately
git checkout main
git pull origin main
git branch -d feat/user-authentication

Branch Naming Conventions

Pattern: <type>/<short-description>

Types match Conventional Commit types:

•feat/add-oauth-login - New feature
•fix/authentication-timeout - Bug fix
•refactor/database-queries - Code refactoring
•docs/api-endpoints - Documentation
•test/user-service - Tests only
•chore/update-dependencies - Maintenance

Keep descriptions short, lowercase, hyphen-separated.

Conventional Commits

Format

code

<type>(<scope>): <subject>

<body>

<footer>

Required: type, subject Optional: scope, body, footer

Types

feat: New feature for users

code

feat(auth): add OAuth2 authentication

fix: Bug fix

code

fix(api): handle null response in user endpoint

docs: Documentation changes

code

docs(readme): update installation instructions

style: Code style/formatting (no logic change)

code

style(components): fix indentation in Button

refactor: Code restructuring (no behavior change)

code

refactor(database): extract query builder class

perf: Performance improvement

code

perf(images): implement lazy loading

test: Adding or updating tests

code

test(auth): add integration tests for login flow

build: Build system or dependencies

code

build(deps): upgrade React to v18.2

ci: CI/CD configuration

code

ci(github): add automated deployment workflow

chore: Maintenance tasks

code

chore(deps): update development dependencies

revert: Revert previous commit

code

revert: revert "feat(auth): add OAuth2 authentication"

Scope

Optional but recommended. Indicates what part of codebase changed:

•feat(api): - API changes
•fix(ui): - UI fix
•refactor(database): - Database refactoring
•feat(auth): - Authentication feature

Use project-specific scopes that make sense for your codebase.

Subject Rules

•Use imperative mood: "add" not "added" or "adds"
•No capitalization of first letter
•No period at the end
•Keep under 50 characters
•Complete the sentence: "If applied, this commit will..."

Good:

code

feat(api): add user profile endpoint
fix(auth): prevent token expiration race condition

Bad:

code

feat(api): Added user profile endpoint.
fix(auth): Fixes a bug
Update stuff

Body (Optional)

•Explain what and why, not how
•Wrap at 72 characters
•Separate from subject with blank line
•Use bullet points for multiple points

code

feat(search): implement full-text search

- Add PostgreSQL full-text search indexes
- Create search API endpoint with pagination
- Implement search result ranking by relevance

This enables users to search across all content with better
performance than previous LIKE queries.

Footer (Optional)

Breaking changes:

code

feat(api): change authentication endpoint

BREAKING CHANGE: /auth/login moved to /api/v2/auth/login

Issue references:

code

fix(ui): prevent modal from closing on backdrop click

Fixes #123
Closes #456

Examples

Simple feature:

code

feat(dashboard): add user activity chart

Bug fix with details:

code

fix(api): handle network timeout errors

Previously, network timeouts would crash the application.
Now we catch timeout errors and return appropriate error
response to client.

Fixes #789

Breaking change:

code

feat(api)!: redesign user authentication

BREAKING CHANGE: Auth tokens now expire after 1 hour instead
of 24 hours. Clients must implement token refresh logic.

Multiple changes:

code

refactor(database): optimize query performance

- Add indexes on frequently queried columns
- Implement connection pooling
- Cache common queries with Redis
- Update ORM configuration for better performance

These changes reduce average query time from 200ms to 50ms.

See references/conventional-commits.md for comprehensive guide.

Essential Git Commands

Daily Commands

Check status:

bash

git status                    # See working tree status
git diff                      # Show unstaged changes
git diff --staged            # Show staged changes

Make commits:

bash

git add <file>               # Stage specific file
git add .                    # Stage all changes
git commit -m "type: message" # Commit with message
git commit                   # Open editor for commit message

Sync with remote:

bash

git pull origin main         # Fetch and merge from main
git push origin <branch>     # Push branch to remote
git fetch origin            # Fetch without merging

Branch management:

bash

git branch                   # List local branches
git branch -a               # List all branches (including remote)
git checkout -b <branch>    # Create and switch to branch
git checkout <branch>       # Switch to existing branch
git branch -d <branch>      # Delete local branch

Workflow Commands

Update feature branch from main:

bash

git checkout main
git pull origin main
git checkout feat/my-feature
git rebase main             # Keep linear history
# Resolve conflicts if any
git push --force-with-lease origin feat/my-feature

Amend last commit:

bash

git commit --amend          # Edit last commit message/content
git commit --amend --no-edit # Add changes to last commit

Unstage changes:

bash

git reset HEAD <file>       # Unstage file
git reset HEAD .           # Unstage all

Discard changes:

bash

git checkout -- <file>      # Discard changes in file
git restore <file>         # Modern alternative
git clean -fd              # Remove untracked files/dirs

Stash changes:

bash

git stash                   # Stash working changes
git stash push -m "message" # Stash with message
git stash list             # List stashes
git stash apply            # Apply most recent stash
git stash pop              # Apply and remove stash
git stash drop             # Remove stash

View history:

bash

git log                     # Show commit history
git log --oneline          # Compact history
git log --graph            # Visual branch graph
git log -p                 # Show patches
git log --follow <file>    # Follow file history

Compare branches:

bash

git diff main..feat/branch  # Changes in branch vs main
git log main..feat/branch   # Commits in branch not in main

See references/git-commands.md for complete command reference.

GitHub Pull Request Workflow

Creating a PR

1. Push branch:

bash

git push -u origin feat/user-authentication

2. Create PR on GitHub with:

Title: Use Conventional Commit format

code

feat(auth): add OAuth2 authentication

Description template:

markdown

## Summary
Brief description of changes and motivation.

## Changes
- List key changes
- Use bullet points
- Be specific

## Testing
How to test these changes:
1. Step-by-step instructions
2. Expected behavior

## Screenshots (if UI changes)
[Add screenshots]

## Checklist
- [ ] Tests added/updated
- [ ] Documentation updated
- [ ] No breaking changes (or documented)
- [ ] Follows Conventional Commits

3. Request reviewers 4. Link related issues

Reviewing PRs

As reviewer:

•Check code quality and style
•Verify tests are adequate
•Test functionality locally
•Ask questions, suggest improvements
•Approve or request changes

PR review checklist:

• Code follows project conventions
• Changes are well-tested
• No unnecessary changes included
• Documentation updated if needed
• Commit messages follow Conventional Commits
• No security vulnerabilities introduced
• Performance implications considered

Addressing Review Feedback

1. Make requested changes:

bash

# Make changes in your branch
git add .
git commit -m "fix(auth): address PR feedback"
git push origin feat/user-authentication

2. Respond to comments 3. Mark conversations as resolved 4. Request re-review

Merging PRs

Merge strategies:

Squash and merge (recommended for most features):

•Combines all commits into one
•Clean main branch history
•Loses detailed commit history
•Good for: Features with many small commits

Merge commit (for collaborative branches):

•Preserves all commits
•Shows branch history
•Can clutter main history
•Good for: Complex features with meaningful commit history

Rebase and merge (for clean branches):

•Applies commits directly to main
•Linear history
•Requires clean branch history
•Good for: Branches with well-crafted commits

After merge:

bash

# Delete remote branch (or use GitHub auto-delete)
git push origin --delete feat/user-authentication

# Update local main
git checkout main
git pull origin main

# Delete local branch
git branch -d feat/user-authentication

See references/github-workflow.md for detailed GitHub guidance.

Branch Protection Rules

Configure on GitHub for main branch:

Required:

• Require pull request before merging
• Require approvals (at least 1)
• Require status checks to pass
• Require branches to be up to date

Recommended:

• Require conversation resolution
• Require linear history
• Do not allow bypassing settings
• Automatically delete head branches

Optional (for teams):

• Require review from Code Owners
• Restrict push access
• Require signed commits

Handling Merge Conflicts

When conflicts occur

During merge:

bash

git merge main
# CONFLICT in file.py

During rebase:

bash

git rebase main
# CONFLICT in file.py

Resolution process

1. View conflicts:

bash

git status  # Shows conflicted files

2. Open conflicted file:

python

<<<<<<< HEAD
# Your changes
=======
# Their changes
>>>>>>> main

3. Resolve manually:

•Choose one version, or
•Combine both, or
•Write new solution

4. Mark as resolved:

bash

git add file.py

5. Continue operation:

bash

# For merge:
git commit

# For rebase:
git rebase --continue

6. Abort if needed:

bash

# For merge:
git merge --abort

# For rebase:
git rebase --abort

Preventing conflicts

•Pull/rebase from main frequently
•Keep branches short-lived
•Coordinate with team on overlapping work
•Make small, focused changes

See references/troubleshooting.md for complex conflict scenarios.

Common Workflows

Starting New Feature

bash

# 1. Ensure main is current
git checkout main
git pull origin main

# 2. Create feature branch
git checkout -b feat/new-feature

# 3. Make changes and commit
git add .
git commit -m "feat(module): add new functionality"

# 4. Push and create PR
git push -u origin feat/new-feature
# Create PR on GitHub

Quick Bug Fix

bash

# 1. Create fix branch from main
git checkout main
git pull origin main
git checkout -b fix/bug-description

# 2. Fix and commit
git add .
git commit -m "fix(module): resolve bug description"

# 3. Push and create PR
git push -u origin fix/bug-description
# Create PR with "Fixes #issue-number"

Updating Branch from Main

bash

# Option 1: Rebase (preferred for clean history)
git checkout feat/my-feature
git fetch origin
git rebase origin/main
# Resolve conflicts if any
git push --force-with-lease origin feat/my-feature

# Option 2: Merge (preserves branch history)
git checkout feat/my-feature
git fetch origin
git merge origin/main
git push origin feat/my-feature

Splitting Large Branch

bash

# If branch too large, split into smaller PRs:

# 1. Create first sub-feature
git checkout -b feat/user-auth-part1 feat/user-auth
git rebase -i main  # Mark only first commits as pick
git push -u origin feat/user-auth-part1
# Create PR for part 1

# 2. After part 1 merges, continue with part 2
git checkout main
git pull origin main
git checkout -b feat/user-auth-part2 feat/user-auth
# Continue with remaining commits

Git Best Practices

Commit Practices

✅ Do:

•Commit frequently (multiple times per day)
•Keep commits focused (one logical change)
•Write meaningful commit messages
•Follow Conventional Commits format
•Test before committing
•Review changes before committing (git diff)

❌ Don't:

•Commit broken code to main
•Make giant commits with unrelated changes
•Write vague messages ("fix stuff", "updates")
•Commit commented-out code
•Commit sensitive data (secrets, credentials)
•Force push to main

Branch Practices

✅ Do:

•Keep branches short-lived (days not weeks)
•One feature/fix per branch
•Use descriptive branch names
•Delete branches after merging
•Rebase/merge from main frequently
•Keep main always deployable

❌ Don't:

•Create long-lived feature branches
•Mix multiple features in one branch
•Push directly to main (without PR)
•Leave stale branches
•Let branches get too far behind main

Collaboration Practices

✅ Do:

•Pull before starting work
•Communicate about overlapping work
•Review others' PRs promptly
•Provide constructive feedback
•Respond to review comments
•Use PR templates
•Link issues in PRs

❌ Don't:

•Work on main directly
•Force push to shared branches (without communication)
•Approve PRs without reviewing
•Ignore CI failures
•Merge your own PRs without review

Repository Hygiene

✅ Do:

•Use .gitignore properly
•Keep repository clean
•Document in README
•Tag releases
•Archive old branches
•Use GitHub releases

❌ Don't:

•Commit build artifacts
•Commit dependencies (unless necessary)
•Commit IDE-specific files
•Commit large binary files
•Let main branch diverge from production

Troubleshooting Common Issues

"I committed to wrong branch"

bash

# Move commit to new branch
git branch feat/new-branch    # Create branch at current commit
git reset --hard HEAD~1       # Remove commit from current branch
git checkout feat/new-branch  # Switch to new branch

"I need to undo last commit"

bash

# Keep changes, undo commit
git reset --soft HEAD~1

# Undo commit and changes
git reset --hard HEAD~1

# Undo but keep as uncommitted
git reset HEAD~1

"I committed sensitive data"

bash

# Remove from last commit
git rm --cached <file>
git commit --amend
git push --force-with-lease

# Remove from history (use tools like BFG Repo-Cleaner)
# Then rotate any exposed secrets!

"My branch diverged from main"

bash

# Rebase to fix
git fetch origin
git rebase origin/main
# Resolve conflicts
git push --force-with-lease origin feat/my-branch

"I need to change commit message"

bash

# Last commit only
git commit --amend

# Older commits
git rebase -i HEAD~3  # For last 3 commits
# Change 'pick' to 'reword' for commits to change

"Rebase went wrong"

bash

# Abort and start over
git rebase --abort

# Or if already messed up
git reflog  # Find previous state
git reset --hard <previous-commit>

See references/troubleshooting.md for more scenarios.

Advanced Git Topics

Interactive Rebase

bash

# Rebase last 3 commits interactively
git rebase -i HEAD~3

# Options:
# pick - keep commit
# reword - change commit message
# edit - pause to amend commit
# squash - combine with previous commit
# fixup - like squash but discard message
# drop - remove commit

Cherry-Pick

bash

# Apply specific commit to current branch
git cherry-pick <commit-hash>

# Cherry-pick multiple commits
git cherry-pick <commit1> <commit2>

# Cherry-pick range
git cherry-pick <start>..<end>

Reflog (recover lost commits)

bash

# View reference log
git reflog

# Find lost commit
git reflog show HEAD

# Restore to previous state
git reset --hard HEAD@{2}

Bisect (find bug-introducing commit)

bash

# Start bisect
git bisect start
git bisect bad              # Current commit is bad
git bisect good <commit>    # Last known good commit

# Git will checkout middle commit, test it
git bisect good  # If works
git bisect bad   # If broken

# Repeat until found
git bisect reset  # Return to original state

Worktrees (work on multiple branches)

bash

# Create worktree for different branch
git worktree add ../project-feature feat/feature

# List worktrees
git worktree list

# Remove worktree
git worktree remove ../project-feature

See references/advanced-git.md for detailed coverage.

GitHub Actions Integration

Basic CI Workflow

yaml

# .github/workflows/ci.yml
name: CI

on:
  pull_request:
    branches: [main]
  push:
    branches: [main]

jobs:
  test:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - name: Setup
        uses: actions/setup-node@v4
        with:
          node-version: '18'
      - name: Install
        run: npm ci
      - name: Test
        run: npm test
      - name: Lint
        run: npm run lint

Conventional Commit Validation

yaml

# .github/workflows/commit-lint.yml
name: Commit Lint

on: [pull_request]

jobs:
  lint-commits:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
        with:
          fetch-depth: 0
      - uses: wagoid/commitlint-github-action@v6

See examples/github-actions/ for more workflow examples.

Tools and Resources

Recommended Tools

Commit message helpers:

•commitizen - Interactive commit message builder
•commitlint - Validate commit messages
•husky - Git hooks for validation

GitHub CLI:

bash

gh pr create --title "feat: add feature" --body "Description"
gh pr checkout 123
gh pr review --approve
gh pr merge --squash

Visual tools:

•gitk - Built-in Git GUI
•GitKraken, SourceTree - Full-featured GUIs
•VS Code Git integration
•GitHub Desktop

Configuration

Useful git config:

bash

# User info
git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "your.email@example.com"

# Editor
git config --global core.editor "vim"

# Default branch
git config --global init.defaultBranch main

# Rebase by default
git config --global pull.rebase true

# Helpful aliases
git config --global alias.st status
git config --global alias.co checkout
git config --global alias.br branch
git config --global alias.cm commit
git config --global alias.lg "log --oneline --graph --decorate"

Learning Resources

•references/conventional-commits.md - Complete Conventional Commits guide
•references/trunk-based-development.md - Detailed TBD workflow
•references/github-workflow.md - GitHub-specific practices
•references/git-commands.md - Comprehensive command reference
•references/troubleshooting.md - Problem-solving guide
•references/advanced-git.md - Advanced techniques
•examples/ - Example commit messages, PR templates, workflows
•assets/templates/ - Templates for PRs, commits, checklists

When to Use This Skill

Activate for requests involving:

•Git commands and operations
•Branching and merging strategies
•Commit message formatting
•Pull request creation and review
•Merge conflict resolution
•Repository management
•GitHub workflow questions
•Git troubleshooting
•Version control best practices
•Team collaboration with Git

Quick Reference

Daily Commands:

bash

git status                      # Check status
git add .                       # Stage changes
git commit -m "type: message"  # Commit
git pull origin main           # Update from main
git push origin branch         # Push changes

Branch Workflow:

bash

git checkout main              # Switch to main
git pull origin main           # Update
git checkout -b feat/name      # Create branch
# ... make changes ...
git push -u origin feat/name   # Push and create PR

Conventional Commit:

code

type(scope): subject

- Use feat, fix, docs, style, refactor, test, chore
- Imperative mood in subject
- Optional body for details
- Optional footer for breaking changes/issues

Stay Updated:

bash

git fetch origin               # Fetch updates
git rebase origin/main         # Rebase on main
git push --force-with-lease    # Force push safely

Remember: Small commits, frequent integration, clear messages, short-lived branches, and always keep main deployable. This is the path to professional version control.