my-notes

git_rebase_vs_merge

2 min read

git rebase vs merge

When to use rebase and when to use merge.

📊 Visual Comparison

Before

main:    A---B---C
              \
feature:       D---E

After Merge

git checkout main
git merge feature

main:    A---B---C-------M
              \         /
feature:       D---E----

Creates merge commit M preserving both histories.

After Rebase

git checkout feature
git rebase main

main:    A---B---C
                  \
feature:           D'---E'

Replays commits on top of main with new hashes.

📋 Comparison Table

Aspect Merge Rebase
History Non-linear, preserves context Linear, clean
Commits Original hashes kept New hashes created
Conflicts Resolve once Resolve per commit
Safety Safe for shared branches ⚠️ Don't use on shared
Use case Shared branches, releases Feature branches

✅ When to Use Merge

Merge Main into Feature

git checkout feature-branch

Switch to feature.

git merge main

Merge main into feature to get latest changes.

Merge Feature into Main

git checkout main

Switch to main.

git merge feature-branch

Merge completed feature.

Merge for Public/Shared Branches

git merge --no-ff feature-branch

Always use merge for branches others are using.

✅ When to Use Rebase

Rebase Feature onto Main

git checkout feature-branch

Switch to feature.

git rebase main

Rebase your commits onto latest main.

Pull with Rebase

git pull --rebase origin main

Fetches and rebases instead of merging.

Configure Always Rebase on Pull

git config --global pull.rebase true

Makes git pull always rebase.

Interactive Rebase for Cleanup

git rebase -i HEAD~3

Clean up last 3 commits before merging.

📊 Decision Flowchart

graph TD
    A[Combine branches?] --> B{Shared/public branch?}
    B -->|Yes| C[Use Merge]
    B -->|No| D{Feature branch?}
    D -->|Yes| E{Clean history needed?}
    D -->|No| C
    E -->|Yes| F[Use Rebase]
    E -->|No| C

⚠️ Golden Rules

Never Rebase Public Branches

# ❌ DON'T DO THIS
git checkout main
git rebase feature

Never rebase main or shared branches.

Safe to Rebase Private Branches

# ✅ SAFE
git checkout my-feature
git rebase main

Rebase your own feature branch onto main.

🔄 Recommended Workflow

1. Work on Feature Branch

git checkout -b feature/new-thing

Create feature branch.

2. Regularly Rebase onto Main

git fetch origin

Get latest from remote.

git rebase origin/main

Rebase onto latest main.

3. Before PR, Clean Up

git rebase -i HEAD~5

Squash/reword commits.

4. Create PR

gh pr create

Submit pull request.

5. Merge with Squash (GitHub)

On GitHub, use "Squash and merge" for clean history.

💡 Tips

Rebase After Pick

Always rebase feature onto main before creating PR.

Force Push After Rebase

After rebasing a pushed branch:

git push --force-with-lease
Prefer Merge for Beginners

Merge is safer and easier to understand.

🔗 Related

#git #rebase #merge #comparison #workflow

Built with mdgarden