Git for Beginners: Pull Requests, Branches & Feature Releases

What You Need to Know First

Repository (Repo): A folder that Git tracks. It contains your project files and entire version history.

Branch: A parallel version of your code. Think of it like making a copy of your project to work on without affecting the main version.

Main/Master Branch: The primary branch. This is usually your production-ready code. It should always be stable.

Pull Request (PR): A way to propose changes. It says “I’d like to merge my branch into the main branch” and lets others review your code first.

Step 1: Get the Repository

First, you need to get the project code onto your computer.

git clone https://github.com/username/project-name.git
cd project-name

This downloads the entire project to your computer. Now you’re ready to work.

Step 2: Update Your Local Code

Before starting anything new, always get the latest version of the main branch:

git checkout main
git pull origin main

git checkout main = Switch to the main branch git pull origin main = Download the latest changes from the remote server

Step 3: Create a Feature Branch

Never work directly on the main branch. Create a new branch for your feature or bugfix:

git checkout -b feature/my-awesome-feature

Good branch naming conventions:

feature/user-login for new features
bugfix/fix-login-error for bug fixes
hotfix/critical-crash for urgent fixes

Step 4: Make Your Changes

Now edit files, write code, and do your work. You can use your text editor or IDE normally.

Step 5: Check Your Changes

Before committing, see what you’ve changed:

git status

This shows which files you’ve modified. Review them to make sure everything looks right.

Step 6: Stage Your Changes

Staging means marking specific changes to be included in your next commit:

git add .

The . means “add all my changes”. You can also add specific files:

git add filename.txt

Check what’s staged:

git status

Step 7: Commit Your Changes

A commit is like a save point. Write a clear message describing what you did:

git commit -m "Add user authentication feature"

Good commit messages:

Start with a verb: “Add”, “Fix”, “Update”, “Remove”
Be descriptive but concise
Explain WHAT you did and WHY (if the why is unclear)

Step 8: Push Your Branch to GitHub

Upload your branch to the remote server (GitHub):

git push origin feature/my-awesome-feature

origin = the remote server (usually GitHub)

Step 9: Create a Pull Request

Go to your GitHub repository in your browser. You’ll usually see a prompt to create a PR. Click it. If not:

Click the “Pull requests” tab
Click “New pull request”
Select:
- Base branch: main (where you want to merge into)
- Compare branch: feature/my-awesome-feature (your branch)

Add a title and description explaining your changes:

Title: Add user authentication

Description:
- Implemented login page
- Added password hashing
- Created session management
- Fixes #42 (reference related issues)

Click “Create Pull Request”

Step 10: Code Review

Your team reviews your code. They might:

Ask questions
Request changes
Approve it

If they request changes:

# Make the requested edits in your files
git add .
git commit -m "Address code review feedback"
git push origin feature/my-awesome-feature

Your PR automatically updates. You don’t need to create a new one.

Step 11: Merge Your PR

Once approved, merge your branch into main:

Click “Merge pull request” on GitHub, or
Use the command line:

git checkout main
git pull origin main
git merge feature/my-awesome-feature
git push origin main

Step 12: Delete Your Branch

After merging, delete the feature branch (you don’t need it anymore):

git branch -d feature/my-awesome-feature
git push origin --delete feature/my-awesome-feature

Step 13: Feature Releases

When you’re ready to release a version:

1. Create a Release Branch

git checkout main
git pull origin main
git checkout -b release/v1.0.0

2. Update Version Numbers

Update your version in:

package.json (for Node.js projects)
version.py (for Python)
Any other version files

git add .
git commit -m "Bump version to 1.0.0"
git push origin release/v1.0.0

3. Create a PR for the Release

Create a PR from release/v1.0.0 to main. This gives everyone a chance to review.

4. Merge to Main

Once approved, merge to main (this becomes your official release).

5. Tag the Release

git checkout main
git pull origin main
git tag -a v1.0.0 -m "Release version 1.0.0"
git push origin v1.0.0

This marks the exact point in your code history for this release.

6. Merge Back to Development

If you have a develop branch, merge the release back:

git checkout develop
git pull origin develop
git merge main
git push origin develop

Quick Reference: Complete Workflow

# 1. Update main branch
git checkout main
git pull origin main

# 2. Create feature branch
git checkout -b feature/my-feature

# 3. Make changes, then:
git status
git add .
git commit -m "Describe your changes"

# 4. Push to GitHub
git push origin feature/my-feature

# 5. Create PR on GitHub (in browser)

# 6. Once approved, merge (can be done on GitHub or CLI):
git checkout main
git pull origin main
git merge feature/my-feature
git push origin main

# 7. Clean up
git branch -d feature/my-feature
git push origin --delete feature/my-feature

Common Commands Cheat Sheet

Command	What It Does
`git status`	See what’s changed
`git checkout -b branch-name`	Create and switch to a new branch
`git checkout branch-name`	Switch to a branch
`git add .`	Stage all changes
`git commit -m "message"`	Save changes with a message
`git push origin branch-name`	Upload branch to GitHub
`git pull origin branch-name`	Download latest changes
`git merge branch-name`	Combine another branch into current branch
`git branch`	List all branches
`git branch -d branch-name`	Delete a branch
`git log`	See commit history

Tips for Success

Always create a new branch for each feature or bugfix
Pull before you work to avoid conflicts
Commit often with clear messages
Test locally before pushing
Review your own code before requesting reviews
Keep commits focused – one feature per branch, not five
Never force push to main (git push --force)
Be kind in code reviews – we’re all learning

Troubleshooting

“I committed to main by accident”

git reset --soft HEAD~1
git checkout -b feature/my-feature
git commit -m "My changes"

“I made a typo in my commit message”

git commit --amend -m "New message"
git push origin branch-name --force-with-lease

“My branch is out of date”

git fetch origin
git rebase origin/main

“I have merge conflicts” Open the conflicted files in your editor, manually resolve them, then:

git add .
git commit -m "Resolve merge conflicts"
git push origin branch-name