Implement git flow workflow with tfs 2010 / tfs 2012?

Question

Currently we are using TFS 2010 and planning to migrate to TFS 2012. As part of our new project we would like adapt git flow workflow as our branching strategy.

This requires cross branch merge, I could do that in tfs with baseless merge. Then i loose the track of what all changes or items are merged.

Is there any way in TFS 2010 / 2012 to do delta merges for cross branches? just like push and pull in git?

Answer 1

TFS has slightly different recommended branching patterns than Git due to limitations in TFS around what branch can merge with what. All of the TFS best practices avoid baseless merges and you should too.

You can do something very similar to Gitflow in TFS, you just need to stick to the limitation of only merging a branch with direct parent or children.

The Ranger guidance goes into great detail about some recommended branching patterns in TFS: http://vsarbranchingguide.codeplex.com/

Specifically the "Servicing and Release Isolation" + "Feature Isolation" branching patterns closely resembles gitflow.