Assignment: Practical Git Branching & Release Workflow (Using GitHub Desktop)

🎯 Objective

Demonstrate your ability to manage a real-world Git branching workflow using GitHub Desktop — including branching, merging, rollback, hotfix, cherry-pick, and selective demo deployment.

---

🧰 Tools Required

• GitHub Desktop (main tool) 👉Download here

• A GitHub account to host your repository

• (Optional) Git CLI for log inspection (git log --oneline --graph --all)

---

🧱 Part 1: Repository Setup

1. Create a new GitHub repository and clone it locally with GitHub Desktop.

2. In GitHub Desktop, create these branches:

   • dev

   • beta

   • production

3. Publish all branches to GitHub.

---

🔁 Part 2: Basic Commit & Merge Workflow

1. On dev, make a small change (e.g., edit README.md) and commit it using GitHub Desktop.

2. In GitHub:

   • Switch to beta → merge request dev into beta.

   • Switch to production → merge request beta into production.

3. Push all changes to GitHub.

✅ Result: All branches are synchronized with the first feature.

---

💥 Part 3: Faulty Commit & Rollback

1. On dev, make another commit simulating a buggy feature.

2. Merge upward (dev → beta → production).

3. Simulate an error in production.

4. Rollback procedure:

   • On production, revert the faulty commit (“Revert this commit” in GitHub Desktop).

   • Merge the rollback production → beta.

   • Merge again beta → dev.

✅ Result: All branches return to a clean state.

---

🐞 Part 4: Hotfix Workflow

1. On production, make a hotfix commit (e.g., fix typo or restore functionality).

2. Merge the hotfix downstream:

   • production → beta

   • beta → dev

✅ Result: All branches include the hotfix.

---

🧩 Part 5: Merge Into Current Branch

1. On beta, make a new bug-fix commit that is not yet released to production.

2. In GitHub Desktop, open the Branch tab on beta, right-click that commit, and choose:
   → “Merge into current branch.”

3. Take a screenshot showing this action in GitHub Desktop.

✅ Result: The fix exists in beta and dev, but not in production.

---

🚀 Part 6: Selective Demo on Production

1. On the dev branch, make three new feature commits (e.g., feature-A, feature-B, feature-C).

2. For a quick demo requirement, only two features (A and B) need to be shown on production.

3. Using GitHub Desktop, from the dev branch history:

   • Right-click each of the two chosen commits and select “Cherry-pick commit…” 

4. Do not cherry-pick the third commit (feature-C).

5. Push to GitHub and take a screenshot of the cherry-pick history in GitHub Desktop.

✅ Result: Production contains only selected demo features, while dev keeps all three commits.

---

📤 Submission Requirements

Submit on Moodle:

1. GitHub repository link (public or private invite).

2. Screenshots:

   • Branch view showing dev, beta, production.

   • Merge history / Git graph.

   • Cherry-pick screenshots (Parts 5 and 6).

3. README.md explaining:

   • Branch purposes and commit sequence.

   • Rollback, hotfix, and selective demo logic.

   • Why cherry-pick is useful in staged releases.

---

🧮 Evaluation Criteria (100 pts)

---

💡 Tips

• Use clear commit messages:
  feat: add feature A • feat: add feature B • fix: rollback buggy feature • hotfix: patch production

• Always pull latest before merging or cherry-picking.

• Use GitHub Desktop’s History and Branch Graph to visualize workflows.

• Add your git log --oneline --graph --all as an image for bonus clarity.