For beginners new to Git, you might wonder, "Why divide things up so
complicatedly?" or "Can't I just save and push?" That's why this time, I'll break down why branch strategies are needed, when to use them, and when they're useful for situations beginners face—all explained simply.

🍊 Git Branch Strategy, Made Easy for Beginners!

💡 Why do you need a Git branching strategy?

If you're working on code alone, using just the main branch is perfectly fine.
But if any of the following situations apply? A branch strategy is absolutely essential.

✅ 3 Essential Scenarios

Scenario	Description	What Git Branch Strategy Solves
Development by more than one person	Multiple people editing simultaneously → Risk of conflicts	Working individually feat/*Work individually → devthen merge, minimizing conflicts
Accidentally breaking the code	App errors caused by incorrect modifications during coding	mainAlways maintain a stable state! Keep experiments devin
Experimenting with new features	Developing unvalidated features	feat/*Experiment freely in [branch name], then get reviewed and merge

🤔 Common beginner issues vs. branch strategy

Common Problems	Changes After Implementing Branch Strategy
"I don't know what I changed"	Track history with commits & branches
"I broke the whole app while fixing one feature"	feat/*Experimentation, mainAlways functions normally
"We're working together, but our code keeps getting tangled"	Minimize conflicts by following: Branch → Review → Merge

🔍 When should I use which branch?

Situation	Branch to use	Description
When creating a new feature	feat/기능명	This is my workspace. Feel free to experiment!
When you've finished building the feature and are ready to share	PR → dev	Automated testing + reviewer review
When deploying the service to users	main	Only deploy error-free code (release tags are also created at this stage)
When urgently fixing errors	hotfix/이름	Fix immediately and mainand merge immediately (version tags are also created)

🧠 Core Summary Reorganized with an analogy

Concept	Analogy	Role
main	🏛 Deployable Exhibition Hall	Only displays completed works
dev	🧪 Laboratory	Where artists' works gather for review
feat/*	🎨 Private Studio	A space where each artist is engaged in creative activities

🧪 Practice Routines Beginners Can Try

🌱 1. Try applying branch strategy for the first time

# 1. dev 브랜치에서 최신 코드 받아오기
git checkout dev
git pull

# 2. 새로운 작업 브랜치 생성
git checkout -b feat/hello-api

# 3. 작업 + 저장
echo "Hello API!" >> api.py
git add api.py
git commit -m "feat(api): 인사 API 스텁 추가"

# 4. GitHub로 푸시 + PR 만들기
git push --set-upstream origin feat/hello-api

🔐 Security & Mistake Prevention Tips

Item	Points to note	Action
Committing Sensitive Information	.env, 비밀번호, API 키 etc.	.gitignoreExclude and verify before committing
Force Push (--force)	Misuse may overwrite collaborators' work	Never decide alone; notify via Slack when sharing is needed
Branch name errors	Typos or duplicates	Establish naming conventions beforehand and verify before starting work
GitHub public repos	Accidentally pushing sensitive files	Upload only code to public repos; separate configuration files

🎯 Summary: Practical Branch Strategy for Beginners

Action Items	Description
✅ Before working git pullAlways	Prevent conflicts, reflect latest code
✅ One branch per feature	Increase focus and simplify history management
✅ Commit frequently in small increments	makes it easier to revert later
✅ Always request a code review after a PR	Prevents mistakes and aids growth

🚀 Final tip: Start like this!

1. Create a branch today dev Create a branch today.
2. .gitignore Create a file to block sensitive files!
3. Create a branch, README.md and practice the entire process: make changes → create a PR → request a review!