git-flow-next

A modern implementation of the Git-flow branching model, written in Go. It is brought to you and maintaned by the team at Tower, the most powerful Git client for Mac and Windows.

About

git-flow-next is a modern reimplementation of the popular git-flow branching model. It's built with Go, focusing on reliability, extensibility, and developer experience.

Why This Project?

This project is maintained by the team behind Tower, one of the most popular Git clients for Mac and Windows. Having integrated git-flow into Tower over many years, we've gained deep insights into its strengths and areas for improvement.

As developers of version control tools, we're passionate about creating better developer experiences. While the original git-flow has served the community well, we saw an opportunity to build a more modern implementation that:

• Is written in Go for better maintainability and performance
• Provides a more robust and reliable experience
• Offers better error handling and conflict resolution
• Supports modern Git workflows and practices
• Maintains compatibility with existing git-flow setups

Our goal is to contribute back to the developer community with tools that make version control workflows more efficient and enjoyable.

Features

• Modern Implementation: Written in Go with focus on reliability and maintainability
• Improved Conflict Resolution: Better handling of merge conflicts and edge cases
• Flexible Configuration: Customizable branch naming and merge strategies
• Compatibility: Works with existing git-flow repositories
• Enhanced Error Handling: Clear error messages and recovery options
• Performance: Fast and efficient operations

Installation

Homebrew (macOS and Linux)

brew install gittower/tap/git-flow-next

WinGet (Windows)

winget install GitTower.GitFlowNext

Scoop (Windows)

scoop install git-flow-next

Manual Installation (macOS and Linux)

1. Download the latest release from the releases page
2. Extract git-flow to a location in your PATH
3. Make it executable: chmod +x /path/to/git-flow

Manual Installation (Windows)

1. Download the latest release from the releases page
2. Extract git-flow.exe to a location in your PATH
3. Verify the installation by running git flow version

The binary must be named exactly git-flow.exe for Git to detect it as the git flow subcommand. If git flow version reports that flow is not a git command, check that Windows has not appended a hidden extension (for example git-flow.exe.exe when file extensions are hidden).

Quick Start

1. Initialize git-flow in your repository:

   git flow init
   

2. Start a new feature:

   git flow feature start my-feature
   

3. Finish the feature:

   git flow feature finish my-feature
   

Shorthand Commands

git-flow-next provides convenient shorthand commands that automatically detect your current topic branch and execute the appropriate action. These aliases work similar to git-flow-avh and eliminate the need to specify the branch type manually.

Available Shorthands

How It Works

When you use a shorthand command, git-flow-next:

1. Detects your current branch - Checks which branch you're currently on
2. Identifies the branch type - Determines if it's a feature, release, hotfix, or support branch based on configured prefixes
3. Executes the full command - Runs the corresponding full command with the detected type and branch name

Examples

# On a feature branch
git checkout feature/my-awesome-feature
git flow finish  # Executes: git flow feature finish my-awesome-feature
git flow rebase  # Executes: git flow feature update --rebase

# On a release branch
git checkout release/v1.2.0
git flow publish  # Executes: git flow release publish v1.2.0

# On a hotfix branch
git checkout hotfix/critical-bug
git flow finish  # Executes: git flow hotfix finish critical-bug
git flow rebase  # Executes: git flow hotfix update --rebase

Branch Detection

The shorthand commands automatically detect topic branches based on your git-flow configuration:

• Feature branches: feature/, features/, feat/
• Release branches: release/, releases/, rel/
• Hotfix branches: hotfix/, hotfixes/, hf/
• Support branches: support/, supports/, sup/

Error Handling

• Non-topic branches: If you're not on a topic branch, you'll get a clear error message
• Ambiguous branches: If a branch name could be interpreted multiple ways, you'll be prompted to use the explicit command
• Missing branches: If the branch doesn't exist, appropriate error messages are shown

Command Options

All options and flags are passed through to the underlying commands:

# Options work exactly like the full commands
git flow finish --keep --tag  # Keeps the branch and creates a tag
git flow update --rebase      # Forces rebase strategy for update
git flow delete --force       # Force deletes the branch

Supported Branch Types

The shorthand commands work with all standard git-flow branch types:

• Feature branches: For new features and enhancements
• Release branches: For preparing new releases
• Hotfix branches: For critical bug fixes
• Support branches: For maintaining older versions

Documentation

For detailed documentation, please visit our documentation site.

Configuration Reference

For comprehensive configuration information, see CONFIGURATION.md which includes:

• Complete list of all configuration options
• Default values and examples
• Configuration precedence hierarchy (some options intentionally skip branch defaults)
• Migration guide from git-flow-avh
• Best practices and workflows

Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please see our Contributing Guidelines for details on how to get involved.

Development

For information about the project's architecture and technical overview, see ARCHITECTURE.md.

Testing Resources

• TESTING_GUIDELINES.md - Testing conventions, patterns, and best practices
• GIT_TEST_SCENARIOS.md - How to set up specific Git test scenarios (merge conflicts, local remotes, state verification)

License

This project is licensed under the BSD 2-Clause License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

This project builds upon the work of:

• Vincent Driessen's original git-flow
• Peter van der Does' git-flow (AVH Edition)

About Tower

git-flow-next is maintained by the team behind Tower, the popular Git client for Mac and Windows. With over a decade of experience in Git tooling and version control, we're committed to creating high-quality developer tools that make working with Git more efficient and enjoyable.