Why Force Pushes Can Break Your Code

It’s a common scenario in the world of coding – you’re working on a project, making changes, and you want to push those changes to the mainline branch as quickly as possible. But what many developers fail to realize is that abusing force push can lead to disaster.

The Tweet That Started It All

On July 4, 2024, a tweet from user @falsemanwhite went viral in the coding community. In the tweet, the user expressed frustration with people abusing force push to the mainline branch, urging developers to instead raise a pull request or merge request and allow colleagues to review the changes.

The Dangers of Force Push

Force pushing can be tempting when you want to move fast and get your changes out there quickly. But the reality is that force pushing can lead to all sorts of issues, including breaking the codebase, causing conflicts with other developers’ changes, and even losing important work that hasn’t been properly saved.

Best Practices for Pushing Code

So what should developers do instead of force pushing? The key is to follow best practices for pushing code. This includes creating a separate branch for your changes, making your changes, committing them to the branch, and then raising a pull request or merge request for review.

By following this process, you give your colleagues the opportunity to review your changes, provide feedback, and catch any potential issues before they make their way into the mainline branch. This not only helps to maintain the integrity of the codebase but also fosters collaboration and teamwork within your development team.

How to Move Fast Without Breaking Things

It’s important to remember that moving fast doesn’t have to mean cutting corners or taking unnecessary risks. By following best practices for pushing code, you can move quickly while still ensuring that your changes are properly reviewed and tested before they are merged into the mainline branch.

So the next time you’re tempted to force push your changes, take a step back and consider the potential consequences. By following best practices and working collaboratively with your colleagues, you can move fast without breaking things and ensure that your codebase remains stable and secure.

Conclusion

Force pushing may seem like a quick and easy way to get your changes out there, but the risks far outweigh the benefits. By following best practices for pushing code and working collaboratively with your colleagues, you can move fast without breaking things and ensure that your codebase remains stable and secure.

So the next time you’re working on a project, remember to raise a pull request or merge request and allow your colleagues to review your changes. It may take a little extra time, but it’s well worth it in the long run.

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I hate when people abusing force push to mainline branch. Please don't do that. Raise PR/MR and let your colleague review it. You can move fast without breaking so many things. https://t.co/BU2s8D2yEx

— 🅂🄾🄿 /// (@falsemanwhite) July 4, 2024

Source

falsemanwhite said I hate when people abusing force push to mainline branch. Please don't do that. Raise PR/MR and let your colleague review it. You can move fast without breaking so many things.