Trunk-based development is a software development approach that emphasizes working on a single main branch of code, called the trunk or the master branch, instead of creating multiple feature branches.
In contrast, it involves continuously integrating and testing new changes to the trunk to feature branching. Each feature is developed on a separate branch and then merged back into the trunk later.
Trunk-based development is a popular approach in the agile and DevOps communities, as it helps teams to move quickly, reduce complexity, and improve collaboration. By working on a single, shared codebase, team members can stay in sync, promptly resolve conflicts, and maintain high levels of code quality.
Benefits of trunk-based development
There are several benefits to using trunk-based development as a software development approach:
- Faster development: Because there are no separate feature branches, team members can work together more effectively, and changes can be integrated and tested more quickly. This can reduce development time and get new features and updates to customers more rapidly.
- Improved code quality: By continuously integrating changes into the trunk, teams can quickly identify and fix any issues. This can help improve overall code quality, reduce the risk of bugs, and ensure the software is reliable and stable.
- Better collaboration: Working on a single trunk can help improve collaboration and communication among team members. This can build a more cohesive team, increase knowledge sharing, and foster a sense of shared ownership and responsibility for the codebase.
- Reduced complexity: Because there is only one codebase to work on, trunk-based development can help to reduce complexity and avoid issues that arise when multiple branches are created. This can make managing code changes easier, reducing the risk of merge conflicts, and avoiding version control issues.
Challenges of trunk-based development
While there are many benefits to trunk-based development, there are also some challenges that teams may need to consider:
- Code conflicts: With all changes being made on the same branch, there is an increased likelihood of code conflicts. This means that teams must be prepared to resolve conflicts quickly and efficiently to avoid delays and ensure the code remains stable.
- Testing challenges: With continuous integration, there is a need to maintain a comprehensive test suite and ensure that tests are run automatically and regularly. This can be challenging, particularly for larger codebases, and teams may need to invest in tools and infrastructure to support testing.
- Risk management: Trunk-based development can be riskier than feature branching, as any issues that arise can have a wider impact on the codebase. Teams must be prepared to manage these risks and have a plan for handling issues as they arise.
In conclusion, trunk-based development is a software development approach that can help teams work more quickly, reduce complexity, and improve collaboration. By working on a single, shared codebase, teams can stay in sync, promptly resolve conflicts, and maintain high levels of code quality.
While this approach has some challenges, many teams have found it to be an effective way to build software. It is increasingly becoming a popular approach in the agile and DevOps communities.