This guide outlines the process for creating and applying a hotfix to your production environment while maintaining the integrity of your Git workflow.
Steps to Create a Production Hotfix
Create a hotfix branch from the production branch
git checkout production
git checkout -b hotfix/issue-description
Make necessary changes and commit
git add .
git commit -m "Fix: Description of the hotfix"
Push the hotfix branch and create a pull request
- Push the branch to the remote repository
- Create a pull request to merge the hotfix into the production branch
After approval, merge the hotfix into production
git checkout production
git merge hotfix/issue-description
git push origin production
Tag the new production version (Optional)
git tag -a v1.0.1 -m "Hotfix release v1.0.1"
git push origin v1.0.1
Merge the hotfix into the main development branch
git checkout develop
git merge hotfix/issue-description
git push origin develop
Delete the hotfix branch
git branch -d hotfix/issue-description
git push origin --delete hotfix/issue-description
Best Practices
- Only use hotfixes for critical bugs that must be immediately addressed in production.
- Keep hotfixes small and focused on the specific issue.
- Ensure thorough testing of the hotfix before merging into production.
- Always update both production and development branches with the hotfix.
- Communicate the hotfix to the development team to ensure everyone is aware of the changes.
By following this process, you can quickly address production issues while maintaining a clean and organized Git history.
