what does using gitflow offer a git user?

Question

We're transitioning to git, we need source control that handles branching and parallel development better. Our whole team has done a bit of research and we've decided to move to git. We also like the model of gitflow. I noticed there is also a gitflow extension for git.

What benefit does this extension have over standard git? It seems like it's mainly macros for bundling up commands. Should we bother with the gitflow extension (we do like the model)? Is it useful? How does it compare to standard git commands?

Answer 1

The gitflow "extension" is literally just a set of scripts that codify nvie's branching model. There's absolutely no need to use them, it's just a convenience. You may find it helpful to have the scripts to deal with the branching model, or you may prefer to just stick with vanilla git commands to do the exact same thing. It's just a personal preference.

Answer 2

Kevin is absolutely right. Except..., the git flow extensions do make it very easy to use the nvie model. It really help enforce just what you mean by a feature, but more importantly, what a release and a hotfix is!

When you use the git flow extensions you can also use regular git commands, no penalty at all.

I've also found the OS X GUI tool, SourceTree. It really help show you what is local and what needs to be push/pulled from origin.