Week 2: Git Branches and Collaboration

Welcome to Week 2!

Theme: Git Branching & Collaboration

This week, you’ll:

• Understand how teams collaborate using Git

• Use branches to safely make changes

• Learn how to merge code and resolve conflicts

Filenames (and variable names)

Why Use Branches?

Git branches let you:

1. Experiment safely without breaking the main code

2. Collaborate efficiently by working in parallel with your teammates

3. Organise your project into logical feature units

Example Workflow:

Git Branch Basics

Common branch commands:

# List all branches
git branch  

# Create + switch
git checkout -b new-feature   

# Go back to main
git switch main        

# Delete a merge branch
git branch -d old-feature

Collaboration with GitHub

To work with others, you’ll:

1. Clone a repo

2. Make changes in a new branch

3. Push your branch to GitHub

4. Open a pull request
   
   Pull Requests = Propose changes + get feedback + merge cleanly

Working as a Team

Key habits for collaboration:

• Pull the latest changes often:
  git pull origin main

• Communicate: use comments, issues

• Keep commits small and meaningful

• Don’t fear conflicts — learn to resolve them
  
  Good Git habits = less stress for your team