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Git Workflows and Standards

To maintain a clean and traceable project history, all contributors must follow these Git procedures. This ensures that every change is linked to a specific task and that our codebase remains stable.

1. Finding Tasks​

All work must be associated with an active GitHub Issue. You can find your assigned tickets or browse available tasks here: Rainfall Learning Issues

2. Branching Strategy​

Syncing with Main​

Before starting any work, ensure your local environment is synchronized with the latest changes from the main repository. Use the following sequence:

git checkout main
git pull origin main
git fetch origin
git checkout -b <branch-name>

Branch Naming Convention​

Branches should be named using the format: <ticket-number>-<short-description>. Note that categories (like Payments or Scheduling) should be lowercase in the branch name.

  • Issue: [Payments] - Receipt/Invoice Display Component #119 → Branch Name: 119-payments
  • Issue: [Scheduling] - Create Recurring Sessions Service #65 → Branch Name: 65-scheduling

View Project Branches: Rainfall Learning Branches

3. Commit Message Standards​

Commit messages must reference the associated GitHub issue ticket and provide clear, descriptive summaries of changes.

Format: <ticket-number>-<category> <Action in Imperative Mood>

Best Practices​

  • Start with Identifier: Begin with the ticket identifier followed by a space.
  • Imperative Mood: Use "Add feature" instead of "Added feature" or "Adds feature."
  • Character Limit: Keep the first line under 72 characters.
  • No Periods: Do not end the first line with a period.

Good Examples​

  • 65-scheduling implement JWT token validation
  • 119-payments fix memory leak in data processing pipeline
  • 89-interface update API documentation for user endpoints

4. Pull Requests (PRs)​

When your task is complete, open a Pull Request to merge your branch into main.

View Active Pull Requests: Rainfall Learning PRs

PR Format & Process​

  1. Title: Match the branch naming/ticket context (e.g., 119-payments: Add Invoice Component).
  2. Linked Issue: Use a keyword followed by the issue number in the description to automate closing the ticket. Supported keywords include:
    • close, closes, closed
    • fix, fixes, fixed
    • resolve, resolves, resolved
    • Example: Closes #119
  3. Reviewers: Request reviewers via GitHub, and ping the Tech Lead on Discord.

Submission Checklist​

  • Formatting: No linting errors and code follows Prettier formatting.
  • Conflicts: No merge conflicts with main.
  • Testing: - For UI changes: Screenshots of the whole page in both normal and mobile-sized windows.
    • For Backend changes: Screenshots of manual testing (e.g., Postman) and DB state if applicable.
  • Dependencies: No package.json changes unless explicitly required for the task.
  • Review: All checks are passing and reviewers have been pinged.