git-workflow-general

name	git-workflow-general
description	Git workflow: branch naming, conventional commits, PR conventions, and merge strategies

Git Workflow

Branch Naming

<type>/<short-description>

Type	Use for
feat	New functionality
fix	Bug fixes
chore	Tooling, deps, config
refactor	Code improvements, no behavior change
docs	Documentation only
test	Adding or fixing tests
hotfix	Urgent production fix

Examples: feat/user-auth, fix/login-redirect, chore/upgrade-node

Commit Messages (Conventional Commits)

<type>(<scope>): <subject>

[body — explain why, not what]

[footer — Closes #123, breaking changes]

• Subject: imperative mood, no period, max 72 characters.
• Body: explain why the change was made. Reference issues.

feat(auth): add JWT refresh token support

Adds sliding window refresh to prevent session expiry during active use.
Tokens expire after 7 days of inactivity. Refresh endpoint is POST /auth/refresh.

Closes #142

Pull Requests

• Title: follows conventional commit format.
• Description: what changed, why, and how to test it.
• Size: one logical change per PR. Large PRs get worse reviews.
• Reviewers: request at least one before merging.
• Link: reference the related issue.

Merge Strategy

• Squash and merge for feature branches → clean linear history on main.
• Merge commit for release branches → preserves release history.
• Delete branches after merge.
• Never force-push to main or develop.

Rules

• Never commit .env files, secrets, or credentials.
• Add .env.example with placeholder values.
• CI must be green before merging.