managing-git-workflows

# Git Workflows

Implement structured Git workflows for team collaboration, code quality, and automated releases. This skill covers branching strategies, conventional commit formats, Git hooks, and monorepo management patterns.

## When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:
- Choosing a branching strategy for a new project or team
- Implementing consistent commit message formats
- Setting up Git hooks for linting, testing, or validation
- Managing monorepos with multiple projects
- Establishing code review workflows
- Automating versioning and releases

## Quick Decision: Which Branching Strategy?

### Trunk-Based Development
Use when the team has strong CI/CD automation, comprehensive test coverage (80%+), and deploys frequently (daily or more). Short-lived branches merge within 1 day. Requires feature flags for incomplete features.

**Best for:** High-velocity teams with mature DevOps practices (Google, Facebook, Netflix)

### GitHub Flow
Use for web applications with continuous deployment. Main branch always represents production. Simple PR-based workflow for small to medium teams (2-20 developers).

**Best for:** Startups, SaaS products, open-source projects

### GitFlow
Use when supporting multiple production versions simultaneously, requiring formal QA cycles, or following scheduled releases (monthly, quarterly). More complex but structured.

**Best for:** Enterprise software, mobile apps with App Store releases, on-premise products

For detailed branching patterns with examples, see `references/branching-strategies.md`.

## Conventional Commits

Structure commit messages for automated versioning and changelog generation:

```
<type>[optional scope]: <description>

[optional body]

[optional footer(s)]
```

**Common Types:**
- `feat` - New feature (MINOR version bump: 0.1.0)
- `fix` - Bug fix (PATCH version bump: 0.0.1)
- `docs` - Documentation only
- `refactor` - Code restructuring without feature change
- `test` - Adding or updating tests
- `chore` - Maint