Branching terminology

When working with stacked pull requests, you’ll encounter specific terms and concepts—both from Git and from mrge. Use this page as a quick reference for branch-related jargon.

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Parent branch

A parent branch is the branch that your current branch is based on.

• In a stacked workflow, feature_2 might have feature_1 as its parent.
• Once feature_1 merges, feature_2 typically rebases onto the updated main (if needed).

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Child branch

A child branch is a branch whose parent is another active branch in the stack.

• For example, if feature_2 depends on commits in feature_1, then feature_2 is considered a child of feature_1.
• You can see these relationships by running mg list

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Orphan branch

In mrge, an orphan branch is any branch that has been removed from the tracked stack. This can happen if you decide a branch is no longer relevant.

• You can orphan a branch with mg orphan.
• Once orphaned, its children (if any) will need a new parent or might also be orphaned.

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Sync

Sync refers to the process of updating your local branch (and its children) with the latest changes from the remote parent branch (often main).

• Typically done via mg sync.
• Sync can rebase or merge your branches, ensuring they stay current with teammates’ commits.

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Upstream & downstream

These are general Git terms:

• Upstream: The remote branch or parent branch that your local branch tracks. In mrge’s stacked model, main might be upstream for the root of your stack.
• Downstream: Branches that rely on your current branch or follow it in the commit chain. Child branches are downstream from their parent.

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Where to see these concepts in action

• Create a stacked PR: Demonstrates parent-child relationships when stacking multiple features.
• Handle updates & sync: Learn how to keep branches in sync with the latest changes in main.
• Adopt or orphan a branch: Manage how branches enter or leave mrge’s tracking system.