🛠️ Version Control Series – Post 3: Branching & Merging in Git 🌿 Link to heading

🌿 Branching: Experiment Without Fear Link to heading

Imagine working on a new analysis without risking your main code. That’s what Git branches are for! Each branch is an independent workspace where you can develop features, test changes, and experiment freely.

🔹 Create a new branch Link to heading

git branch new_analysis

🔹 Switch to it Link to heading

git checkout new_analysis  # Older approach
git switch new_analysis    # Recommended approach

🔹 Work in isolation Link to heading

Make edits, test scripts, and commit changes without affecting the main branch.

🔄 Merging: Integrate Your Work Link to heading

Once satisfied, merge your branch back into main to make the changes official.

🔹 First, switch back to main Link to heading

git checkout main  # Older approach
git switch main    # Recommended approach

🔹 Merge the branch Link to heading

git merge new_analysis

Git integrates the changes, preserving a clean history.

⚠️ What About Conflicts? Link to heading

If Git encounters conflicting changes, it will prompt you to resolve them manually before merging.

🔹 Check for conflicts Link to heading

git status

🔹 Open the conflicting files, edit as needed, and save. Link to heading

🔹 Mark as resolved Link to heading

git add <resolved_file>
git commit -m "Resolved merge conflict"

✨ Key Takeaways Link to heading

🌱 Branches let you experiment freely. 🔄 Merging integrates tested changes without disrupting ongoing work. ⚠️ Resolve conflicts carefully to maintain a clean project history.

📌 Next up: GitHub & Collaboration – how to work seamlessly with others using Git! Stay tuned 🚀

👇 How do you use Git branches in your workflow? Let’s discuss!

#Git #VersionControl #Bioinformatics #Reproducibility #OpenScience #ComputationalBiology