Merging Branches
git merge brings the commits from one branch into another.
Syntax
git switch main
git merge <feature-branch>When a feature is ready, you merge it back into main. Switch to the branch that should receive the changes, then merge the other branch into it.
Fast-forward vs merge commit
- Fast-forward — if
mainhas no new commits, Git just moves the pointer forward. No extra commit is created. - Merge commit — if both branches advanced, Git creates a new commit that ties the two histories together.
Example
# Move to the branch that receives the work
git switch main
# Merge the feature branch into main
git merge login-page
# Ask Git for a merge commit even if fast-forward is possible
git merge --no-ff login-pageWhen to use it
- A developer merges a completed feature branch into main after the pull request is approved, integrating the new code.
- A release manager merges hotfix/crash-fix into both main and release/1.4 to keep all supported versions patched.
- A team uses squash merges to collapse a noisy feature branch into a single clean commit on main.
More examples
Fast-forward merge a feature branch
When main has no new commits since the branch was created, Git simply moves the pointer forward with no merge commit.
git switch main
git merge feature/user-auth
# Fast-forward
# src/auth.py | 42 +++++++++Create a merge commit explicitly
--no-ff forces a merge commit even when a fast-forward is possible, preserving the branch topology in history.
git switch main
git merge --no-ff feature/payments
# Opens editor for merge commit message
# Merge made by the 'ort' strategy.Squash merge for a clean history
Squash combines all branch commits into a single staged diff; you then write one clean commit message before it lands on main.
git switch main
git merge --squash feature/search
git commit -m "feat: add full-text search (#42)"
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