{"id":30114,"date":"2013-07-11T16:03:01","date_gmt":"2013-07-11T23:03:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/github.blog\/\/2013-07-11-github-flow-in-the-browser\/"},"modified":"2024-07-23T09:28:52","modified_gmt":"2024-07-23T16:28:52","slug":"github-flow-in-the-browser","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/github.blog\/developer-skills\/github\/github-flow-in-the-browser\/","title":{"rendered":"GitHub Flow in the Browser"},"content":{"rendered":"

Now that you can
\ndelete files directly on GitHub<\/a>
\nwe\u2019ve reached a very exciting milestone\u2014the entire GitHub Flow\u2122 is now possible
\nusing nothing but a web browser.<\/p>\n

What is GitHub Flow?<\/span><\/a><\/h2>\n

A little while ago our very own @schacon<\/a> wrote
\nan article<\/a> outlining the
\nworkflow we use here at GitHub to collaborate using Git. It\u2019s a deceptively
\nsimple workflow, but it works brilliantly for us across a huge range of
\nprojects, and has adapted extremely well as our team has grown from
\nbeing only a handful of people to our current size of 183 GitHubbers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Since we use this workflow every day ourselves, we wanted to bring as many
\nparts of the workflow to our web-based interface as possible. Here\u2019s a quick
\noutline of how the GitHub Flow works using just a browser:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Create a branch<\/a> right from the repository.<\/li>\n
  2. Create<\/a>,
    \n    edit<\/a>,
    \nand     delete<\/a> files,
    \n    rename them, or move them around<\/a>.<\/li>\n
  3. Send a pull request<\/a> from your branch with your changes to kick off a discussion.<\/li>\n
  4. Continue making changes on your branch as needed, updating the pull request automatically.<\/li>\n
  5. Once the branch is ready to go, the pull request can be merged using the big green button<\/a>.<\/li>\n
  6. Branches can then be tidied up<\/a> using the delete buttons in the pull request, or on the branches page.<\/li>\n
  7. Repeat.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Even before some of these steps were possible in the browser, this simple
    \nworkflow made it possible for us to
    \n    iterate extremely quickly<\/a>,
    \n    deploy dozens of times each day<\/a>,
    \nand address critical issues with minimal delay.
    \nProbably the most compelling aspect of GitHub Flow however is that
    \nthere is no complicated branching model to have to wrap your head around.<\/p>\n

    Now that this workflow is available entirely via the web interface though,
    \na whole new<\/em> set of benefits start to emerge. Let\u2019s dive into a few of them.<\/p>\n

    Lowering barriers to collaboration<\/span><\/a><\/h3>\n

    Perhaps the most interesting consequence of having these tools available in the
    \nbrowser is that people don\u2019t have to interact with Git or the command-line at
    \nall\u2014let alone understand<\/em> them\u2014in order to contribute to projects in meaningful ways.
    \nThis makes for a much easier learning curve for anyone new to Git and GitHub, whether
    \nthey\u2019re non-technical team members, or experienced developers learning something new.<\/p>\n

    Lowering barriers to learning<\/span><\/a><\/h3>\n

    These web-based workflows have been especially helpful for our training team<\/a>
    \ntoo. For some classes they\u2019ve been able to have people begin learning the
    \nbasic concepts of Git and GitHub using just the browser, saving students the
    \ncomplexity of installing Git and learning their way around the terminal commands until
    \nafter<\/em> they\u2019ve got their heads around the fundamental ideas. When a browser is all
    \nyou need, hallway demos and super-short classes can also more effectively convey the
    \nGitHub Flow to people in less time, and without the distractions of preparing
    \ncomputers with all the necessary software.<\/p>\n

    Less disruptive workflows<\/span><\/a><\/h3>\n

    Even if you are a command-line wizard, there are always times when you just need
    \nto make a quick tweak to a project. Even if it\u2019s just a single type<\/del>typo,
    \ndoing this in the terminal requires a crazy<\/em> number of steps. So now, instead of:<\/p>\n