Cloning, Branching, and Merging

Cloning a Repository

Cloning is the first step in working with a repository. It means you're creating a complete local copy of the repository from Azure Repos to your own computer. This allows you to work offline, make changes, and later push updates back to the cloud.

How to Clone

1. Sign in to Azure DevOps and open your project.
2. Navigate to Repos from the left-hand menu.
3. You’ll see a “Clone” option that provides the repository’s URL.
4. Open a terminal or Git Bash and run:

git clone <repository-url>

Replace <repository-url> with the actual link. You can also clone using tools like Visual Studio, VS Code, or GitHub Desktop if you prefer GUI-based workflows.

Branching in Azure Repos

Branching is the best way to work on features, fixes, or experiments without affecting your main codebase. You can create separate branches for different tasks, which keeps development clean and conflict-free.

Popular branching strategies include:

• Feature Branching: Create a branch for each new feature and merge it back after it’s ready.
• GitFlow: Use a structured workflow with develop, feature, release, and hotfix branches.
• Trunk-Based Development: Keep all work on a single main branch with short-lived side branches.

Creating a New Branch

From your terminal, create and switch to a new branch using:

git checkout -b feature-branch

Push the branch to Azure Repos:

git push -u origin feature-branch

This command makes your branch visible to collaborators, who can review or build upon your work.

Merging Branches

Once your branch work is complete and tested, it's time to merge it into the main branch. Merging brings your changes into another branch and is often done after a code review or pull request.

Merging Locally

Here’s how to merge your feature branch into the main branch manually:

git checkout main
git merge feature-branch

If Git finds conflicting changes between the two branches, it will pause and let you resolve them manually. After fixing, you can commit the merged changes.

Pro Tip:

It's a best practice to use pull requests when merging, especially in teams. Pull requests allow others to review your code, run automated tests, and ensure smooth integration.

Best Practices for Teams

• Keep branches short-lived: Merge frequently to avoid conflicts.
• Name branches clearly: Use naming like feature/login-page or bugfix/null-check.
• Test before merging: Always test locally or through CI pipelines before merging.
• Review each other's code: A second pair of eyes can catch bugs or suggest improvements.

Conclusion

Cloning, branching, and merging are essential to working with source control in Azure Repos. These actions empower teams to work independently while staying aligned and producing reliable software.

Coming up next, we’ll explore how to submit and manage Pull Requests and Code Reviews — the key to collaboration and code quality in modern DevOps workflows.