Why we protect the main branch - UP-Manila-SILab/ph-core GitHub Wiki

Branch protection rules on the main branch are essential for maintaining the integrity, stability, and security of a codebase—especially in collaborative development environments. Here are the key reasons why we use them:

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🔒 1. Prevent Unauthorized Changes

Branch protection ensures that only authorized users can make changes to the main branch, reducing the risk of accidental or malicious modifications.

✅ 2. Enforce Code Review

You can require pull requests to be reviewed and approved before merging. This promotes code quality, knowledge sharing, and early detection of bugs.

🧪 3. Require Status Checks

You can enforce that all tests (e.g., unit tests, integration tests, CI/CD pipelines) pass before code is merged. This helps maintain a stable and functional codebase.

🕒 4. Maintain a Clean Commit History

Rules like requiring linear history or disallowing force pushes help keep the commit history clean and understandable, which is useful for debugging and auditing.

🧩 5. Enable Compliance and Auditing

For teams in regulated industries, branch protection helps meet compliance requirements by enforcing traceability and accountability in code changes.

🛡️ 6. Prevent Force Pushes and Deletions

Disabling force pushes and branch deletions protects the main branch from losing important history or being accidentally removed.

👥 7. Encourage Collaborative Development

By requiring pull requests and reviews, branch protection fosters a culture of collaboration and shared responsibility for code quality.