What is Trunk-Based development?

Trunk-Based development is a branching model where developers work on a single trunk (master) where they commit and run the code.

Sometimes, developers create feature branches. These are used to code separately and, once code on their branch is complete, they merge it with the master branch, which helps to avoid merge conflicts that might otherwise occur.

The following slides better explain this idea.

Usually, experienced developers use this methodology as no one has actual control over what can be modified in the source code. This means that the only way to review changes is to do a full code review, which can be very time-consuming.

When to use this methodology

1. When working with senior developers. This method ensures that anyone can make quick changes to the code without having to get approval from others. This means that developers are trusted, which gives them autonomy. Developers are more satisfied in such an environment; therefore, output increases.

2. When a developer needs to change a project quickly. This method works best when changes need to be made to the project on short notice.

3. When initiating projects. When projects are in the initial development stages, this method serves best because it is quicker and ensures that every developer is able to work on their tasks without needing approval from others.