Real-World GitLab Flow with Math-Driven Development

Develop like a Git expert—version, verify, and deploy your way through theorems and code.

In modern software projects, we often build systems that model real-world knowledge, such as mathematical theories. Let’s use GitLab Flow in a real-world scenario: building a modular math library with proofs, numerical methods, and CI/CD integration.

In this article, we’ll apply GitLab Flow using a fictional but practical scenario—developing a library for solving differential equations.

Project: Differential Solver

We'll build a library that includes:

Euler’s Method
Runge-Kutta 4th Order
Analytical solutions (for verification)
CI tests for each algorithm

Step-by-Step GitLab Flow Applied

Step 1: Initialize the Repository

git init
git checkout -b main
echo "# Differential Solver" > README.md
git add README.md
git commit -m "Initial commit with project README"

Push to GitLab and create staging and production:

git checkout -b staging
git push -u origin staging
git checkout -b production
git push -u origin production

Step 2: Create a Feature Branch

git checkout main
git checkout -b feature/euler-method

Add Feature: Euler’s Method

// src/euler.ts
export function eulerStep(f: (x: number, y: number) => number, x0: number, y0: number, h: number): number {
  return y0 + h * f(x0, y0);
}

Commit and push:

git add src/euler.ts
git commit -m "feat: implement Euler method"
git push -u origin feature/euler-method

Step 3: Merge Request and Code Review

Create a Merge Request (MR) from feature/euler-method → main.

Include:

Description of the algorithm
Reference to issue: Closes #12
Add reviewers from your team

Step 4: Merge and CI Validation

Once approved:

git checkout main
git pull origin main
git merge feature/euler-method
git push origin main

Merge triggers .gitlab-ci.yml:

stages:
  - test
test:
  script:
    - npm run test

CI runs math validation tests using sample ODEs.

Step 5: Deploy to Staging

git checkout staging
git pull origin staging
git merge main
git push origin staging

This triggers:

deploy_staging:
  script: ./scripts/deploy.sh --env=staging
  only:
    - staging

Your changes are now tested in a sandbox environment!

Medium Commands for Cleaner History

Rebase before merge

git checkout feature/euler-method
git pull --rebase origin main

Squash commits

git rebase -i origin/main

Step 6: Hotfix Flow

A bug is discovered in production. Fix it fast:

git checkout production
git checkout -b hotfix/fix-nan-integration
# fix code
git add .
git commit -m "fix: resolve NaN in Euler integration"
git push origin hotfix/fix-nan-integration

After review:

git checkout production
git merge hotfix/fix-nan-integration
git push origin production

git checkout main
git merge hotfix/fix-nan-integration
git push origin main

git checkout staging
git merge hotfix/fix-nan-integration
git push origin staging

Example `.gitlab-ci.yml`

stages:
  - lint
  - test
  - deploy

lint:
  script: npx eslint ./src

test:
  script: npm test

deploy_staging:
  script: ./scripts/deploy.sh staging
  only:
    - staging

Key Takeaways

Concept	Impact
`feature/*` branches	Encourage focused, reviewable changes
CI/CD pipelines	Catch regressions and deploy automatically
`staging` and `production`	Allow safe experimentation
Merge Requests	Keep code quality high
Squashing and rebasing	Maintain a readable Git history

Closing Thoughts

GitLab Flow transforms chaotic commits into a methodical, test-driven deployment process. By applying it to a real-world scenario like mathematical solver development, you not only master Git workflows—you ensure software correctness in critical domains.

🚀 Ready to bring math and Git together? Start architecting your knowledge-driven systems with confidence and clarity.

Follow for more dev workflows, Git strategies, and real-world examples!

Cristian Sifuentes @cristiansifuentes