What is a Hotfix

A hotfix refers to an urgent update/fix that is needed to address a critical bug or vulnerability. The term hotfix implies that the update needs to be applied quickly, often outside of the regular sprint cycle, to resolve a pressing problem that could have significant consequences if left unfixed. Hotfixes are usually small in scope and target specific problems. They avoid introducing new features or making extensive changes to the system.

How to add a Hotfix

If you are given a hotfix ticket, please:

1. Branch from master: The master branch will reflect what is currently live. We avoid using development for hotfixes because the development branch will also contain other developers additions since the last release.
2. Make the necessary changes: Update the files that require the fix.
3. Test your fix: Test your fixes and test all applicable test scripts.
4. Create a pull request: Once satisfied with your fix, create pull requests in bitbucket into master and development.

Warning

Do not sync your pull request with development until you've merged your pull request into master. If you sync your branch with development, it will bring through additions in development since the last deploy.

1. Merge pull request: Once your pull request has been reviewed and passes all required checks, please merge into master first. Once your branch has been merged into master, you can then sync with development and merge.
2. Update the team: Once your fix has been merged into master, please update the team so they can proceed with deploying to fix.