What is a Branch in the context of version control for group work?

In the context of version control, a branch is a powerful feature that allows developers to create a separate line of development within a project. This enables them to isolate their work from the main project, often referred to as the "main" or "master" branch. By creating a branch, team members can work on new features, bug fixes, or experiments without affecting the stable codebase that others are using. This approach facilitates collaborative work by allowing multiple team members to make changes in parallel and independently.

When a branch is created, it effectively serves as a snapshot of the main project at that point in time. Changes made in that branch can later be merged back into the main branch or kept separate, depending on the team’s workflow and needs.

The other options represent different concepts related to version control and collaborative development. While a personal workspace is indeed a space for individual contributions, it does not specifically capture the purpose of a branch, which is about parallel development rather than individual isolation. Merging changes is an action that can be performed after branching but is not the definition of a branch itself. Lastly, the idea of a backup does not encompass the active developmental purpose of a branch, as it is more about safeguarding existing work than facilitating ongoing changes.