What is Git History?
First, Git history refers to the record of changes made to a project. Each change is recorded in a “commit,” which includes information like who made the change, when it was made, and what exactly was changed.
What Does “Linear” Mean in This Context?
Linear, in this context, means straight and without any breaks or splits. When applied to Git history, it means all commits are made one after another in a direct line.
A linear Git history is a straightforward, sequential order of commits on a single branch with no branches or merges interrupting the flow.
No Branches or Merges
In many Git workflows, you might start new branches for new features or fixes. These branches are like taking a detour from the main road to explore a side path, and then coming back and merging into the main road again. This can make the history complex with all these merging points.
However, in a linear Git history, there are no such detours. Even if you work on something separately, you rearrange the changes to appear as if they were made directly in the main line when you are ready to add them to the project. This avoids the complexity of merging.
Why Keep a Linear History?
Simplicity and Clarity: It’s easier to understand what happened and when if the history is a straight line without branches merging in.Easier Troubleshooting: If something goes wrong, you can easily look back step-by-step to find where the problem started without navigating through a maze of branches and merges.
How to Achieve Linear History?
Rebase Instead of Merge: When you’re ready to incorporate changes from a branch back into the main line, you use a technique calledrebase.This takes all the commits in the branch and replays them on top of the latest commit in the main line as if they were made there in the first place.Squash Commits: Sometimes, you might combine several smaller changes into one big commit before adding it to the main line. This keeps the history even cleaner and more straightforward.