---
title: "Simple Git Usage Without Formal Workflow"
date: 2025-03-22
author: "PAELLADOC"
version: 1.0
status: "Active"
tags: ["github", "git", "simple", "direct", "solo development"]
---
# Simple Git Usage Without Formal Workflow
## Basic Approach
- Work directly on the main branch for most changes
- Use Git primarily as a backup and version history tool
- Commit code whenever a meaningful change is made
- Push to remote regularly to maintain an offsite backup
- No formal branch management or versioning required
## When To Use This Approach
- Solo development projects
- Very small teams (1-2 developers)
- Prototype or experimental projects
- Learning projects where process overhead isn't desired
- Projects where deployment isn't critical or happens infrequently
## Basic Git Commands
- `git add .` - Stage all changes
- `git commit -m "message"` - Commit changes
- `git push` - Push changes to remote repository
- `git pull` - Get changes from remote repository
- `git status` - Check current repository status
## Recommended Practices
- Commit frequently to capture working states
- Write meaningful commit messages
- Push to remote at the end of each work session
- Consider tagging significant milestones with `git tag`
- Back up the repository regularly if it contains critical work
## Dealing with Conflicts
- When working alone, conflicts are rare
- If conflicts occur, resolve them manually in the affected files
- Use `git status` to identify conflicted files
- After resolving, use `git add` to mark as resolved
- Complete the merge with `git commit`
## Transitioning to More Formal Workflows
- When to consider a more formal workflow:
- When team size increases
- When deployment frequency increases
- When you need more structured releases
- When project complexity grows
- Start with GitHub Flow for a simple but structured approach
- Consider Git Flow for projects requiring formal releases
## Versioning without Branches
- Use tags to mark versions: `git tag -a v1.0 -m "Version 1.0"`
- Push tags to remote: `git push --tags`
- Browse code at a specific version with: `git checkout v1.0`
- Return to latest code with: `git checkout main`
## Simple Backup Strategy
- Push to remote repository daily
- Consider multiple remotes for critical projects
- Occasional local backups of the entire repository folder
- Document significant changes in a simple changelog file
## Collaboration without Branches
- Coordinate directly with teammates about who is working on what
- Pull changes before starting work each day
- Avoid working on the same files simultaneously
- Commit and push completed work promptly
- Communicate before making major changes
