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7.6Git Workflow Anti-Patterns for QA
| Anti-Pattern | Problem | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Committing test results | Repository bloats with binary files | Add test-results/ to .gitignore |
| Giant PRs with 50 test files | Impossible to review meaningfully | Split into logical, reviewable chunks |
| Vague commit messages ("fix tests") | No one knows what changed or why | Write descriptive messages: "fix: stabilize checkout test by awaiting API response" |
| Long-lived feature branches | Drift from main, painful merges | Rebase frequently, keep branches short-lived |
| Force-pushing shared branches | Destroys teammates' local history | Only force-push your own branches before review |
Committing .env files |
Credentials exposed in repo history | Add .env to .gitignore, use secrets management |
Not using .gitignore from day one |
Artifacts accumulate, hard to clean up later | Start every project with a comprehensive .gitignore |