DevOps Bootcamp · Lesson

Trunk-Based Development

Explore the trunk-based development model, short-lived branches, and feature flags as a lightweight alternative to Gitflow.

Lesson 4 of 413 steps

Trunk-Based Development is a free DevOps Bootcamp lesson on CoddyKit. This is lesson 4 of 4. Any 3 lessons of this learning path are free to read in full — after that, CoddyKit PRO unlocks every lesson, plus hands-on practice with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. It is part of the DevOps Bootcamp learning path, and your progress syncs across the web and the CoddyKit app. The DevOps Bootcamp course includes 4 lessons in total.

What is Trunk-Based Development?

Trunk-based development is a branching strategy where all developers integrate small changes into a single shared branch (the trunk, usually main) very frequently.

It favors many small merges over long-lived branches.

Why Avoid Long-Lived Branches?

Branches that live for weeks drift far from main, causing painful merges.

More conflicts the longer a branch lives
Integration risk is hidden until the end
Code review queues grow huge

Short-Lived Branches

In trunk-based development, branches live hours to a day or two, then merge back. Create one, do focused work, merge fast.

git checkout -b add-login
# small focused change
git commit -m 'Add login button'
git push origin add-login

Committing Directly to Trunk

Small, low-risk teams sometimes commit directly to main behind a fast CI gate. Every commit must keep the trunk releasable.

git checkout main
git pull --rebase
git commit -m 'Fix typo in footer'
git push

Feature Flags

Incomplete features still merge to trunk, but stay hidden behind a feature flag until ready. This decouples deploy from release.

if (featureFlags.newCheckout) {
  renderNewCheckout();
} else {
  renderOldCheckout();
}

Continuous Integration is Mandatory

Because everyone merges to trunk constantly, automated tests on every push are essential to keep main green and deployable.

Trunk-Based vs. Gitflow

Gitflow uses many long-lived branches (develop, release, feature). Trunk-based uses one main branch and tiny short branches.

Trunk-based suits continuous delivery
Gitflow suits scheduled, versioned releases

Release Branches as an Exception

Trunk-based teams may cut a short release branch only to stabilize a version, cherry-picking fixes back into it.

git checkout -b release/1.4 main

Keeping Branches in Sync

Rebase short-lived branches onto the latest trunk before merging to minimize conflicts.

git fetch origin
git rebase origin/main

Merging Back Quickly

Once CI passes, merge the short-lived branch and delete it. The cycle restarts with a fresh branch.

git checkout main
git merge --no-ff add-login
git branch -d add-login

When to Choose Trunk-Based

Pick trunk-based development when you ship often, have strong CI, and want to avoid merge hell. It pairs naturally with continuous deployment.

Quick Check

Test your understanding of trunk-based development.

Answer it in the interactive lesson

Recap

You learned the trunk-based model:

One shared trunk, many tiny short-lived branches
Feature flags hide unfinished work
Strong CI keeps trunk always releasable
It contrasts with Gitflow's long-lived branches

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is the “Trunk-Based Development” lesson free?

Yes — any 3 lessons of the DevOps Bootcamp learning path, including “Trunk-Based Development”, are free to read in full here on the web. After that, CoddyKit PRO unlocks every lesson, plus interactive practice with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. The DevOps Bootcamp course includes 4 lessons in total.

What will I learn in “Trunk-Based Development”?

Explore the trunk-based development model, short-lived branches, and feature flags as a lightweight alternative to Gitflow. You practise DevOps Bootcamp with hands-on code you run directly in the browser, and a 24/7 AI tutor answers your questions as you work through the lesson.

Do I need any experience to start DevOps Bootcamp?

No prior experience is required. DevOps Bootcamp on CoddyKit is structured for beginners through advanced learners, so you can start here or from the beginning and move at your own pace. This is lesson 4 of 4.

How long does the “Trunk-Based Development” lesson take?

Most CoddyKit lessons take about 5–10 minutes. Each one is bite-sized and interactive, so you make steady progress and pick up exactly where you left off across the web and the app.

Can I write and run code in this DevOps Bootcamp lesson?

Yes. Every DevOps Bootcamp lesson includes a built-in code editor, so you write and run real code right in your browser and get instant AI feedback — no local setup required.

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