Fork and Branch in Git
Git is the best, cheapest, and simplest version control system of the modern era. It is considered a major core part of a developer's life as it is used for daily workflows and projects in complex team environments.
In this block, we will take a deep dive into the process of forking and branching in Git and discuss the main differences between these features of Git one by one.
Fork and Branch are considered to be two great ways to develop open source projects. These basic and beneficial features of Git enable its users to enhance their contribution and collaboration on open source projects.
Let’s discuss these two concepts in detail below, and then we’ll compare the two with a table.
Fork
In the software world, Fork is a term where a developer creates a copy of some source code from the original software package and does some independent development on it by making some unique or special code.
Forking works with Git accounts. In Git, when a developer forks a repository, they make a copy of the original upstream repository.
Instead of creating a new repository from the original repository, the original repository remains in the developer's Git account.
The purpose of forking a repository is to observe changes to the project without affecting the original project. The following list lists reasons why forking may be beneficial.
- Forks propose changes to other developers' projects.
- Forks help to use existing projects as a starting point.
Branch
A branch in Git is called a unique and up-to-date form of the main repository. Flexibility and ease of use are the killer features of Git.
It allows multiple developers to work on other parts of an open source project without affecting the main branch. It lets us work on a project by improving the working code base.
Branches are used to work on a different and distinct line of development in a project, either to fix bugs or add new features. The Master branch is the default or main branch in Git.
When we create a repository, a master branch is created. Branches are mainly used in large teams where many developers are working on the same feature, so each of them creates a separate branch for their work and once each of them is done with the required work, then they merge all the separate branches into one branch.
Fork vs Branch in Git
A fork is a unique copy of a Git repository, while a branch is where snapshots of commits are stored, and those commits are added to the branch.
Forking is a process that is done once when you start working on a project, whereas branching can be done regularly when working on a large project in a team.
Let's take a look at the comparison table below.
| Fork | Branches |
|---|---|
| A fork is a copy of a repository | A branch is a place where some code can be appended, modified, or deleted without any impact on the main code. |
| Forking in Git is done on a complete repository | Branching in Git is done on a single repository |
| Fork helps to create a complete copy of the repository | Branches help to create branches so that we can make changes without affecting the work of other developers |
| It aims to add new features to existing repositories to upgrade other developers' projects | Branches are meant to distract attention from the original code without affecting the work of developers. |
| Changes made in the forked repository can be subsequently merged with the original repository via a pull request once the work is complete. | Branches can be merged with the developer's main project |
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