Branch

A branch in software development refers to a copy of the source code of a project that developers can work on independently. The main branch of a project is usually called "main" or "master". When developers want to add new features or fix bugs, they create a new branch off the main branch to isolate their work. This allows multiple developers to work in parallel on the same project without interfering with each other.

For example, developer Alice wants to add a new login feature, so she creates a new branch called "login-feature". She can commit changes, test code, and experiment on this branch without impacting the main codebase. When the feature is complete, Alice merges the "login-feature" branch back into the main branch. This incorporates her changes into the production version. Branches allow developers to collaborate efficiently, switch contexts easily, and rollback changes if needed. They are a fundamental part of version control systems like Git that enable streamlined and safe parallel development.