Gitflow in multi-client projects

[oumaima-out]

Hello,

I am working on a multi-client project using Gitflow, and we face difficulties managing client-specific features.

Sometimes the team considers creating a release branch for a single client to handle customizations.
However, this approach seems difficult to manage and may conflict with the standard Gitflow workflow.

I would like to know:

• Is it acceptable to create a release branch for a specific client?
• What are best practices for managing Gitflow in a multi-client context,
  while keeping releases and features safe for all clients?

Any advice or references would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

[ChrisJStone]

If the purpose of the branch is to track client specific features, then no you would not want to use a release branch. Your teams best option at this time to track client specific customization's would be to use the "extremely limited" support command to create a client specific branch from a given [base] branch or tag. I believe the initial idea for this command was to allow for LTS type releases.

In regards to your question about "best" practices for managing Gitflow in a multi-client context I currently do not have any. Though as a start I would only use the release, hotfix, bugfix and feature "with out adding a optional BASE branch / tag" commands to manage the "core" that will be the same between all client releases. For managing multiple clients, I would use git flow config set to change the default support branch name to client. To make sure features stay safe for all clients use git flow feature start / finish commands with the optional [BASE] argument set to client/"clients-name". For any features that are for a specific client. For global features you can use feature start / finish with out adding a [BASE].

[ChrisJStone]

git ship

Usage

Works best with agile/scrum-based methodologies
Doesn't work with continuous integration/deployment processes
Works well with small teams (projects with less than 10 developers).