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What are best practices for implementing trunk-based development?
Asked on Oct 30, 2025
Answer
Trunk-based development is a source-control branching model that emphasizes continuous integration and frequent merging to the main branch, which enhances software delivery speed and reduces integration risks. This approach is aligned with DevOps principles, promoting collaboration and minimizing merge conflicts.
Example Concept: In trunk-based development, all developers commit to a single branch (often called "trunk" or "main") with short-lived feature branches that are merged back quickly. This model encourages frequent integration, automated testing, and continuous deployment, reducing the complexity of large merges and ensuring that the codebase remains stable and releasable at all times. It supports DevOps practices by enabling faster feedback loops and more reliable releases.
Additional Comment:
- Ensure automated tests run on every commit to the trunk to maintain code quality.
- Use feature flags to manage incomplete features without affecting the main branch.
- Limit the lifespan of feature branches to reduce merge conflicts and integration issues.
- Encourage small, frequent commits to facilitate easier code reviews and faster integration.
- Implement continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines to automate testing and deployment processes.
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