Git Flow Helper

Tool Overview

Git Flow Helper generates Git Flow commands for managing branches. It helps you create feature branches, release branches, hotfix branches, and bugfix branches. It shows workflow diagrams. It provides ready-to-use commands.

Git Flow is a branching strategy for Git. It defines how to organize branches. It separates features, releases, and fixes. Following Git Flow manually requires remembering many commands. Commands must be typed correctly. Workflows must be understood.

This tool solves these problems. It generates commands automatically. It shows visual workflows. It explains branch relationships. It provides best practices. It helps you follow Git Flow correctly.

This tool is for developers who use Git Flow. It is for teams managing complex projects. It is for anyone learning Git branching strategies. You need basic Git knowledge. You do not need advanced skills.

Background & Concept Explanation

Git Flow organizes branches into types. Main branches are permanent. They include main and develop. Main holds production code. Develop holds integration code. Temporary branches are for specific work. They include feature, release, hotfix, and bugfix branches.

Feature branches develop new features. They branch from develop. They merge back to develop when done. Release branches prepare releases. They branch from develop. They merge to both main and develop. Hotfix branches fix production issues. They branch from main. They merge to both main and develop.

Git Flow commands follow patterns. Starting a branch uses "git flow [type] start [name]". Finishing a branch uses "git flow [type] finish [name]". Publishing shares a branch with "git flow [type] publish [name]". Each command type has specific steps.

People struggle with Git Flow manually. They forget command syntax. They mix up branch types. They forget to pull latest changes. They forget to push after finishing. They do not understand branch relationships. This causes merge conflicts and workflow errors.

Workflow understanding is complex. Developers must know which branch to start from. They must know where branches merge. They must understand when to use each type. Visual diagrams help but are not always available.

Command sequences require multiple steps. Starting a feature needs checkout develop, pull develop, then start the feature. Finishing needs finish the branch, then push develop. Missing steps causes problems.

This tool automates command generation. You select branch type and action. You enter a branch name. The tool generates complete command sequences. It shows visual workflows. It explains relationships. It provides best practices.

Key Features

• Branch type selection. You choose from feature, release, hotfix, bugfix, or support. Each type has different workflows. This ensures correct branch usage.
• Action selection. You choose start, finish, publish, or pull. Start creates a new branch. Finish merges and deletes a branch. Publish shares a branch. Pull updates a branch. This covers all Git Flow operations.
• Branch name input. You enter a descriptive name for your branch. The tool formats it automatically. Spaces become hyphens. Text becomes lowercase. This ensures valid branch names.
• Automatic command generation. The tool creates complete command sequences. Start actions include checkout develop, pull develop, and start branch. Finish actions include finish branch and push develop. Commands are ready to copy.
• Workflow visualization. The tool shows branch relationships in diagrams. It displays main and develop branches. It shows how temporary branches connect. It updates based on your selections. This helps understand workflows.
• Command preview display. Generated commands appear in a terminal-style panel. Each command shows separately. You can copy individual commands. Or copy all commands together. This makes execution easy.
• Copy to clipboard. Each command has a copy button. Click to copy instantly. Commands paste directly into terminal. This saves typing time.
• Visual flow diagrams. Diagrams show branch creation and merging. They illustrate start and finish actions. They show which branches connect. They help visualize Git Flow concepts.
• Best practices display. The tool shows recommended practices. It reminds you to finish branches after approval. It suggests pulling latest changes first. It recommends descriptive names. This improves workflow quality.
• AI workflow planner. An optional AI assistant helps with complex scenarios. You describe your goal. The AI generates a step-by-step plan. It provides commands for each step. This helps with complicated workflows.
• Sample intent examples. The AI planner includes example scenarios. You can click examples to see how it works. Examples show production fixes and release workflows. This helps you learn the feature.
• Input validation. The tool checks branch name length. Names are limited to 100 characters. AI intent is limited to 500 characters. This prevents errors from excessive input.
• Error handling. The tool shows clear error messages. It explains when inputs are invalid. It prevents command generation for invalid inputs. This keeps workflows correct.
• Branch name formatting. The tool automatically formats names. Spaces convert to hyphens. Uppercase converts to lowercase. Special characters are handled. This ensures Git-compatible names.
• Action-specific commands. Different actions generate different commands. Start includes checkout and pull steps. Finish includes merge and push steps. Publish includes push steps. This matches Git Flow requirements.

Common Use Cases

Developers start new feature work. They select feature type and start action. They enter a feature name like "user-authentication". The tool generates commands to checkout develop, pull latest, and start the feature branch. They copy and run commands.

Teams prepare releases. They select release type and start action. They enter a version like "2.0.0". The tool generates release branch commands. They work on the release branch. When ready, they select finish action to merge to main and develop.

Developers fix production bugs urgently. They select hotfix type and start action. They enter a fix name. The tool generates commands branching from main. They fix the issue. They select finish to merge back to main and develop.

New team members learn Git Flow. They use the tool to see command patterns. They study workflow visualizations. They understand branch relationships. They follow best practices displayed.

Developers handle complex scenarios. They use the AI planner. They describe their situation. The AI generates a complete workflow plan. They follow step-by-step instructions. They execute generated commands.

Code reviewers verify workflows. They check that developers use correct branch types. They ensure commands follow Git Flow. They verify branch naming conventions. They confirm workflows are correct.

How to Use This Tool (Step-by-Step)

1. Open the Git Flow Helper tool. You see a configuration panel on the left and output panels on the right.
2. Select your branch type. Click feature, release, hotfix, bugfix, or support. The selected type highlights. This sets the branch category.
3. Select your workflow action. Click start, finish, publish, or pull. The selected action highlights. This determines which commands are generated.
4. Enter your branch name. Type a descriptive name in the input field. For example, type "user-authentication" or "fix-login-bug". The tool shows a preview with the branch type prefix.
5. Review the workflow visualization. The diagram updates automatically. It shows how your branch connects to main and develop. It illustrates start or finish actions visually.
6. Check the generated commands. Commands appear in the terminal-style panel below the diagram. They show the complete sequence needed for your action.
7. Copy commands as needed. Click the copy button next to each command. Or copy commands one by one. Paste them into your terminal.
8. Execute commands in order. Run each command sequentially in your terminal. Follow the sequence exactly. Do not skip steps.
9. Optionally use AI planner. Click the AI Workflow Planner button at the top. Enter a description of your goal. Click Generate Plan to get step-by-step instructions.
10. Review AI plan if generated. Read each step description. Check the commands provided. Follow the plan sequentially. Execute commands as shown.
11. Read best practices. Check the best practices panel on the left. Follow recommendations. Pull latest changes before starting. Finish branches after approval. Use descriptive names.
12. Verify workflow diagram. Ensure the diagram matches your understanding. Check branch connections. Confirm start and finish points. Use it to understand relationships.
13. Repeat for other branches. Generate commands for additional branches as needed. Change branch type and action. Enter new names. Generate new command sets.

Calculations & Logic

Command generation follows Git Flow patterns. The base command is "git flow [type] [action]". Branch type comes from your selection. Action comes from your selection. Branch name comes from your input.

Branch name formatting normalizes input. Spaces are replaced with hyphens. Text is converted to lowercase. This ensures Git-compatible names. Invalid characters are handled automatically.

Start action commands include three steps. First, checkout develop branch. Second, pull latest changes from origin develop. Third, start the new branch with git flow command. This ensures you start from latest code.

Finish action commands include two steps. First, finish the branch with git flow command. This merges the branch and deletes it. Second, push develop branch to origin. This shares the merged changes.

Publish action commands include one step. It publishes the branch to remote. This shares the branch with team members. It does not merge or delete the branch.

Pull action commands include one step. It pulls latest changes for the branch type. This updates your local branch. It does not require a branch name.

Workflow visualization updates dynamically. It shows main and develop branches as permanent lines. Temporary branches appear as curved connections. Start actions show branches branching off. Finish actions show branches merging back.

Feature branches connect to develop. They branch off develop when starting. They merge back to develop when finishing. The diagram shows this relationship visually.

Hotfix branches connect to main. They branch off main when starting. They merge to both main and develop when finishing. The diagram shows this dual connection.

AI plan generation analyzes user intent. It identifies required branch types. It determines action sequences. It generates step-by-step plans. It provides commands for each step.

Input validation checks lengths. Branch names must be 100 characters or less. AI intent must be 500 characters or less. Exceeding limits shows error messages. Commands do not generate for invalid input.

Tips, Limitations & Best Practices

Always pull latest changes before starting branches. This prevents merge conflicts later. Use the start action which includes pull automatically. Or pull manually before starting.

Use descriptive branch names. Focus on what the branch does. Use kebab-case format. Avoid abbreviations. Make names clear to team members.

Finish branches promptly after approval. Do not leave finished branches open. Finish merges changes and cleans up. This keeps the repository organized.

Verify commands before executing. Read generated commands carefully. Ensure they match your intent. Check branch names are correct. Confirm actions are appropriate.

Use workflow diagrams to understand relationships. Study how branches connect. Learn which branches merge where. Understand Git Flow concepts visually.

Use AI planner for complex scenarios. Describe your situation clearly. Include context about current branches. Mention any constraints. Follow the generated plan step by step.

Do not skip command steps. Execute commands in order. Each step depends on previous steps. Skipping causes errors. Follow the sequence exactly.

Check your current branch before starting. Ensure you are on the correct base branch. Start actions assume you are on develop or main. Verify your location first.

Push changes after finishing branches. Finish actions include push commands. Execute them to share changes. Do not forget to push.

Use appropriate branch types. Features for new functionality. Releases for version preparation. Hotfixes for production fixes. Bugfixes for development fixes. Choose correctly.

The tool generates Git Flow commands only. It assumes Git Flow is installed. Install Git Flow extension if needed. Commands require Git Flow to work.

Branch names are formatted automatically. You cannot control exact formatting. Spaces become hyphens. Case becomes lowercase. Accept the formatted name.

AI planner requires backend service. It may be unavailable sometimes. If AI fails, use manual command generation. Follow standard Git Flow patterns yourself.

Workflow diagrams are simplified. They show main relationships only. Complex scenarios may need multiple diagrams. Use AI planner for complicated workflows.

Commands assume standard Git Flow setup. Custom configurations may need adjustments. Verify commands match your setup. Modify if your workflow differs.