
Git is a powerful and flexible version control system, allowing developers to effectively collaborate on projects of any size. Two essential features in Git are the rebase and merge commands. Both actions help to integrate changes from one branch to another, but they achieve this in different ways. In this article, we will explore the fundamental differences between git rebase and git merge, understand the use cases for each, and learn how to use them to maintain clean and efficient project histories.

## What is Git Merge?

`git merge` is a command that integrates the changes from one branch into another, creating a new merge commit in the process. This maintains a record of the branch history, preserving the chronological order of commits.

**The syntax for git merge is:**

```
git checkout target-branch
git merge source-branch
```

### Use Cases for Git Merge

- When you want to maintain a record of when and how branches were merged.
- When you want to preserve the branch history for better understanding and traceability.
- When working with multiple contributors or in open-source projects where tracking the branching history is crucial.

## What is Git Rebase?

`git rebase` is a command that rewrites the branch history by transferring the changes from the source branch on top of the target branch. This creates a linear commit history, making it easier to understand the development timeline.

**The syntax for git rebase is:**

```
git checkout source-branch
git rebase target-branch
```

### Use Cases for Git Rebase

- When you want to integrate changes from one branch to another without creating a merge commit.
- When you want to maintain a linear commit history for a cleaner and easier-to-follow project history.
- When working on a team that values a linear, easy-to-read commit history for rapid development cycles.

## Differences Between Git Rebase and Git Merge

1. **Commit History:** Git merge preserves the commit history and creates a new merge commit, while git rebase creates a linear commit history by rewriting it.
2. **Tracing Changes:** Git merge makes it easier to trace the history and understand when and how branches were merged, whereas git rebase simplifies the project history, making it easier to follow but harder to trace individual changes.
3. **Conflicts Resolution:** Git merge handles conflicts in a single step, while git rebase resolves conflicts commit by commit, which can be more difficult but offers greater granularity.

## Best Practices for Git Rebase and Git Merge

- **Choose the right command for your project:** Depending on your team's preferences and project requirements, select the command that aligns with your desired commit history and workflow.
- **Avoid rebasing public branches:** Rebasing can rewrite the commit history, causing issues for collaborators who have already pulled that branch. Stick to using rebase for local branches and consider using merge for public branches.
- **Use merge for feature branches:** When merging feature branches that have multiple collaborators, use git merge to preserve branch history and make it easier to understand the integration of various features.
- **Leverage git rebase for small, local branches:** When working on small, local branches or bug fixes, git rebase can help your project history appear more linear and clean.
- **Rebase before merging (optional):** If you want a clean, linear history but still need to create a merge commit, consider rebasing the source branch onto the target branch before performing a merge.

## Conclusion

Both git rebase and git merge are essential tools in Git for integrating changes between branches. Understanding their differences and use cases will help you to keep project histories clean, efficient, and easy to understand. By following best practices and using these powerful commands effectively, developers can optimize their coding workflow and ensure smooth collaboration within their teams.

For further reading on Git and best practices, consider visiting the [official Git documentation](https://git-scm.com/doc).

This article explores git rebase and git merge commands, how they work and differ, best practices, and tips on using them effectively in your coding workflow.

Git Rebase vs. Merge: Understanding and Utilizing Two Crucial Git Commands


Recently, I was reading through the documentation of a GitHub repository. I noticed some features included that didn't seem to exist in the version that was released to NPM. I was too eager to wait for a release, I wanted this new feature **now**! So I installed the package directly from GitHub and used it that way until an official release was created. In this article, I'll explain how I did it, and some other nifty commands that you might need.

**Important note: All repositories installed via these methods must have an adequate `package.json` in their root. Without this. the installation will fail!**

## Installing public packages

Here's how to install an NPM package from GitHub, using either yarn or npm:

```bash
# yarn
yarn add <GitHub user name>/<GitHub repository name>

# npm
npm install <GitHub user name>/<GitHub repository name>
```

Here's how to install an NPM package **from a specific branch or commit**:

```bash
# yarn
yarn add<GitHub user name>/<GitHub repository name>#<branch/commit>

# npm
npm install <GitHub user name>/<GitHub repository name>#<branch/commit>
```

We can also install an NPM package **from a specific version or tag**:

```bash
# yarn
yarn add <GitHub user name>/<GitHub repository name>@<version/tag> --exact

# npm
npm install <GitHub user name>/<GitHub repository name>@<version/tag> --exact
```

## Installing private packages

Sometimes you'll want to install a package that is only available in a private repository. To do so, you'll need to use the SSH Github link. If you haven't got SSH set up on your device, you can follow [this handy guide by Github](https://docs.github.com/en/authentication/connecting-to-github-with-ssh). This process can be applied to Bitbucket, GitLab and others. 

```bash
# yarn
yarn add git+ssh://git@github.com:<GitHub user name>/<GitHub repository name>.git

# npm
yarn add git+ssh://git@github.com:<GitHub user name>/<GitHub repository name>.git
```

## Install packages from GitLab or Bitbucket

If you're looking to install dependencies from GitLab or Bitbucket instead, npm offers a very simple way to do this out of the box. You can simply prefix your commands with `gitlab:` or `bitbucket:`

```bash
# GitLab
yarn add gitlab:<GitLab user name>/<GitLab repository name>

# Bitbucket
npm install bitbucket:<Bitbucket user name>/<Bitbucket repository name>
```

However, Yarn doesn't support this, and you'll have to utilize SSH instead:

```bash
# GitLab
yarn add git+ssh://git@gitlab.com:<GitLab user name>/<GitLab repository name>.git

# Bitbucket
yarn add git+ssh://git@bitbucket.org/<Bitbucket user name>/<Bitbucket repository name>.git
```


## Installing from Gists

You can also install **directly from a gist**. If there is a package.json that is correctly configured you'll be able to take the ID from the URL of the Gist and append it to the following command:

```bash
# yarn
yarn add gist:<Gist ID>

#npm
npm install gist:<Gist ID>

This guide will explain how to install NPM packages via GitHub, GitLab or Bitbucket. You'll also be able to install from branches

Delving Developer

Version Control Archives

Posts found under the category "Version Control"

Git Rebase vs. Merge: Understanding and Utilizing Two Crucial Git Commands

How to use a GitHub repository as an NPM dependency