Why trunk-based development frustrates developers and how to fix it
Trunk-based development can make you feel upset. Worrying about breaking the code can make commits scary. Using this method needs discipline, which can feel hard. Your teammates might not like or accept the change. These problems need more than just coding skills. They need a new way to work together and make software. Without good processes, keeping code good is stressful. This frustration happens often but shows your team needs a culture change.
Key Takeaways
Trunk-based development can make people scared of breaking code. Teach that mistakes help us learn to lower this fear.
Use feature flags to handle unfinished work safely. This lets you test without messing up the main code, making changes safer.
Set clear rules for daily merges and short branches. This keeps the code steady and speeds up work.
Automated testing is very important for trusting your code. It finds errors early, keeping the main code safe and steady.
Build teamwork with regular talks and training. This creates trust and helps everyone understand trunk-based development better.
Common Problems with Trunk-Based Development
Worry About Breaking the Code
A big problem with trunk-based development is fear of breaking things. Developers worry their changes might mess up the main code. This is especially true in big teams or tricky projects. This fear often comes from past mistakes where releases failed because of hidden bugs. In this method, you must add to the main code often. Without safety checks, this can feel risky.
In continuous integration, the build must always work. If it breaks, you must fix it fast or undo your changes. This creates stress, especially for teams with many updates. Some developers prefer long branches or pull requests to feel safer. But these can cause more branches and slower updates. Over time, this false safety makes direct updates even scarier.
Struggling with Change and Confusion
Another issue is that people resist change. Teams used to old ways of coding may find it hard to switch. Without training, developers might not see why frequent updates are helpful. They may also struggle to work on features at the same time.
This confusion often comes from not understanding the process. For example, some think trunk-based development means no feature branches at all. But short branches and tools like feature flags can still be used. Teaching your team these details can clear up confusion and build trust in the new way.
More Stress on Developers
Trunk-based development can make developers feel more stressed. You need to add small bits of code often, which takes focus and care. Keeping the build working is very important. If it fails, it can slow down the whole team. This stress gets worse when code reviews take too long or cause conflicts.
If code reviews are too strict, developers may avoid frequent updates. This makes it harder to keep the main code stable. Developers might feel torn between working fast and doing good work. To fix this, teams should create a kind environment. Mistakes should be seen as chances to learn, not failures.
Handling Complexity in Big Teams
In big teams, managing complexity is tough with trunk-based development. Many developers working on the same trunk can cause conflicts. Overlapping changes or task dependencies may slow things down. These problems can frustrate the team and delay progress.
Big teams often face coordination problems. Without clear communication, developers might overwrite each other's work. This wastes time and causes delays. Everyone must follow the same coding rules and practices. If not, the code becomes harder to manage and fix.
To solve these issues, teamwork must improve. Daily meetings and clear task plans can reduce confusion. Tools like code ownership help make people responsible for their work. Automated tests and integration pipelines can catch problems early. These steps make handling complexity easier, even in big teams.
Problems with Short Feature Branches
Short feature branches are important in trunk-based development. They let you work on features without straying far from the trunk. But they also bring challenges that need careful planning.
One problem is merging often. Even short branches need quick merges back to the trunk. This lowers conflict risks but can feel stressful in fast-moving teams. "Merge hell" happens when many branches have conflicting changes. This makes combining them hard and time-consuming.
To avoid these issues, keep feature branches very short. They should last only a few hours or a day. This reduces conflicts and makes merging easier. Tools like feature flags can help manage unfinished features. These tools let you merge code without affecting the live product.
Short feature branches need good management but have big advantages. They prevent the problems caused by long branches. With discipline and the right tools, this method works well.
Why Trunk-Based Development Can Be Helpful
Faster and More Efficient
Trunk-based development makes software delivery quicker and smoother. Using one branch avoids delays from long branches or tricky merges. Small changes are added often, helping teams move faster.
High-performing teams show how useful this method is. For example:
Capital One boosted releases by 20x without more production problems.
Some apps were deployed over 30 times daily.
Top teams deploy code many times a day, while slower ones take months.
These teams also recover 2293x faster after deployment issues.
By using trunk-based development, your team can deliver faster and work better.
Better Teamwork
Trunk-based development improves teamwork by having everyone use one branch. This keeps everyone aware of changes and avoids repeated work. Sharing a branch leads to more discussions and learning together.
This method encourages peer reviews. Reviewing each other's code often helps catch mistakes early. It also improves the code and builds a stronger team. Long branches can isolate developers, missing chances to work together.
By sharing one branch, your team takes care of the code together. Everyone feels responsible for keeping it stable and good.
Less Technical Debt
Trunk-based development lowers technical debt by using continuous delivery. Adding small changes daily avoids big merge problems. This keeps the code stable and avoids issues with long branches.
Teams using this method have three or fewer active branches. They merge to the trunk at least once daily. This keeps the software high-quality. Feature toggles help manage unfinished features without causing long-term problems. Fixing toggles quickly avoids slowing down work.
Adding small changes often keeps the code clean and stable. This helps your team deliver better software regularly.
Stronger Code Stability with Good Habits
To keep code stable in trunk-based development, follow good habits. These habits make your code reliable and reduce risks during updates. Using these methods helps your team work smoothly with fewer problems.
One habit is having only a few active branches. Keeping three or fewer branches makes delivery faster and easier. It lowers the chance of conflicts and helps with merging. Another habit is merging branches to the trunk every day. This keeps the code stable and speeds up delivery. Avoiding long waits or freezes in coding also helps. It makes your process smoother and less risky.
The table below shows how these habits help code stability:
Habit | How It Helps Code Stability |
|---|---|
Use three or fewer active branches | Speeds up delivery and lowers conflict risks |
Merge branches to trunk daily | Keeps code stable and improves delivery time |
Skip long freezes and waits | Reduces risks and keeps work flowing |
Tools like automated tests and feature flags can also help. Automated tests find mistakes early, stopping them from causing big problems. Feature flags let you add unfinished features without breaking the live product. These tools, along with good habits, make your code stronger.
By following these tips, you can lower risks and feel more confident. Good habits not only keep your code stable but also make your team work better and faster.
How to Fix the Frustrations
Use Feature Flags and Branching by Abstraction
Feature flags and abstraction branching make coding easier and less stressful. Feature flags let you add unfinished features without showing them to users. This lowers the chance of breaking the main code. For example:
Give each feature a special flag and hide it during development.
Test changes with a small user group (canary releases) before sharing widely.
Turn off problem features fast without undoing the whole branch.
Abstraction branching also keeps things stable. You can use an abstraction layer to separate new features from the main code. This layer protects old features while you work on new ones. When the feature is ready, connect it to all users and remove old code. These methods make trunk-based development easier and less worrisome.
Build a Reliable CI/CD Pipeline
A strong CI/CD pipeline helps keep code good and speeds up work. CI/CD automates testing and deployment, making sure changes fit into the main code smoothly. Studies show teams using CI/CD finish work 25% faster and have 50% fewer problems.
Teams without CI/CD often face delays. About 40% of them take over a month to finish tasks. But with CI/CD, only 19% report such delays. Using CI/CD makes work faster, reduces mistakes, and improves how your team delivers updates.
Encourage Team Collaboration and Training
Working together and learning as a team helps solve trunk-based development problems. When everyone knows the process, work becomes smoother. Teams that merge daily and avoid stopping work see better results and more stable code.
Training sessions teach best practices like using feature flags and handling pull requests well. Daily meetings and peer reviews improve teamwork and keep everyone on track. By focusing on teamwork and training, you can build trust and make your team better every day.
Establish Clear Guidelines and Best Practices
Clear rules and good habits are key for trunk-based development. Without them, teams may feel lost, face delays, or get frustrated. Setting up shared ways of working helps avoid problems and boosts teamwork.
Ask your team to develop in small batches. Small changes are easier to handle and cause fewer mistakes. Frequent commits also help find problems faster. Always test every commit before merging it. This keeps the main code stable and ready to use. Some call this rule "No Junk in the Trunk."
Quick code reviews are very important too. They let developers fix issues right away and merge faster. Make reviews friendly and focused on learning. This builds teamwork and makes everyone care about the code.
Keep feature branches short. Long branches can cause big problems when merging. Use feature flags to handle unfinished work. These flags let you merge without breaking the live product. Talking and planning with your team also helps. Regular chats can solve problems and avoid conflicts.
By following these steps, your team can work better together. Clear rules make things less stressful and help trunk-based development succeed.
Leverage Automated Testing for Confidence
Automated testing is a great way to feel sure about your code. It checks every change and keeps the main code working well. By catching mistakes early, it helps you make better software with fewer problems.
A strong testing system is very important. Use unit tests to check small parts of the code. Use integration tests to see how parts work together. Run these tests after every change to find issues fast. This keeps the main code safe and bug-free.
Feature flags work well with automated testing. They hide unfinished features so you can test them safely. For example, you can show a new feature to a few users first. If something goes wrong, you can turn it off without undoing everything.
Automated testing also helps teams work better. When everyone trusts the tests, they feel good about merging changes. This trust leads to more commits and smoother teamwork. Studies show teams using automated tests finish faster and have fewer problems.
Adding automated testing to your process saves time and lowers stress. It helps your team make better software and feel confident about trunk-based development.
Trunk-based development might feel hard at first. But, when done right, its benefits are worth it. Fixing common problems helps make software delivery smoother and better.
Trunk-Based Development (TBD) uses one main branch to simplify coding. It avoids conflicts and lowers technical debt. This method helps teams work together and release updates quickly.
To do well, commit small changes often and merge daily. Don’t pause work or delay combining code for too long. Automated tests check every change to catch mistakes early and keep things stable.
With good tools, clear steps, and a positive attitude, you can solve issues. Trunk-based development can help your team deliver faster and more reliable software.
FAQ
What is trunk-based development in simple words?
It’s a way of coding where everyone works on one branch. Changes are added often to keep the code updated and avoid long branches.
How can you stop breaking the code?
Use tools like automated tests and feature flags. Tests find mistakes early, and flags hide unfinished features. These tools keep the code safe during updates.
Can big teams use trunk-based development?
Yes, but it needs teamwork and clear rules. Daily talks, good tools, and strong planning help big teams handle challenges and avoid problems.
How do feature flags help with trunk-based development?
Feature flags let you add new features without showing them to users. You can test them safely and turn them off if needed. This keeps the main code safe.
What tools help with trunk-based development?
Tools like Jenkins, GitHub Actions, and CircleCI test and deploy code. Platforms like LaunchDarkly or Split.io manage hidden features. These tools make work faster and easier.
