git-branch(1) ============= NAME ---- git-branch - List, create, or delete branches SYNOPSIS -------- [verse] 'git branch' [--color | --no-color] [-r | -a] [-v [--abbrev= | --no-abbrev]] [(--merged | --no-merged | --contains) []] 'git branch' [--track | --no-track] [-l] [-f] [] 'git branch' (-m | -M) [] 'git branch' (-d | -D) [-r] ... DESCRIPTION ----------- With no arguments, existing branches are listed, the current branch will be highlighted with an asterisk. Option `-r` causes the remote-tracking branches to be listed, and option `-a` shows both. With `--contains`, shows only the branches that contains the named commit (in other words, the branches whose tip commits are descendant of the named commit). With `--merged`, only branches merged into the named commit (i.e. the branches whose tip commits are reachable from the named commit) will be listed. With `--no-merged` only branches not merged into the named commit will be listed. Missing argument defaults to 'HEAD' (i.e. the tip of the current branch). In its second form, a new branch named will be created. It will start out with a head equal to the one given as . If no is given, the branch will be created with a head equal to that of the currently checked out branch. Note that this will create the new branch, but it will not switch the working tree to it; use "git checkout " to switch to the new branch. When a local branch is started off a remote branch, git sets up the branch so that 'git-pull' will appropriately merge from the remote branch. This behavior may be changed via the global `branch.autosetupmerge` configuration flag. That setting can be overridden by using the `--track` and `--no-track` options. With a '-m' or '-M' option, will be renamed to . If had a corresponding reflog, it is renamed to match , and a reflog entry is created to remember the branch renaming. If exists, -M must be used to force the rename to happen. With a `-d` or `-D` option, `` will be deleted. You may specify more than one branch for deletion. If the branch currently has a reflog then the reflog will also be deleted. Use -r together with -d to delete remote-tracking branches. Note, that it only makes sense to delete remote-tracking branches if they no longer exist in remote repository or if 'git-fetch' was configured not to fetch them again. See also 'prune' subcommand of linkgit:git-remote[1] for way to clean up all obsolete remote-tracking branches. OPTIONS ------- -d:: Delete a branch. The branch must be fully merged in HEAD. -D:: Delete a branch irrespective of its merged status. -l:: Create the branch's reflog. This activates recording of all changes made to the branch ref, enabling use of date based sha1 expressions such as "@\{yesterday}". -f:: Force the creation of a new branch even if it means deleting a branch that already exists with the same name. -m:: Move/rename a branch and the corresponding reflog. -M:: Move/rename a branch even if the new branchname already exists. --color:: Color branches to highlight current, local, and remote branches. --no-color:: Turn off branch colors, even when the configuration file gives the default to color output. -r:: List or delete (if used with -d) the remote-tracking branches. -a:: List both remote-tracking branches and local branches. -v:: --verbose:: Show sha1 and commit subject line for each head. --abbrev=:: Alter minimum display length for sha1 in output listing, default value is 7. --no-abbrev:: Display the full sha1s in output listing rather than abbreviating them. --track:: When creating a new branch, set up configuration so that 'git-pull' will automatically retrieve data from the start point, which must be a branch. Use this if you always pull from the same upstream branch into the new branch, and if you don't want to use "git pull " explicitly. This behavior is the default when the start point is a remote branch. Set the branch.autosetupmerge configuration variable to `false` if you want 'git-checkout' and 'git-branch' to always behave as if '--no-track' were given. Set it to `always` if you want this behavior when the start-point is either a local or remote branch. --no-track:: Ignore the branch.autosetupmerge configuration variable. --contains :: Only list branches which contain the specified commit. --merged:: Only list branches which are fully contained by HEAD. --no-merged:: Do not list branches which are fully contained by HEAD. :: The name of the branch to create or delete. The new branch name must pass all checks defined by linkgit:git-check-ref-format[1]. Some of these checks may restrict the characters allowed in a branch name. :: The new branch will be created with a HEAD equal to this. It may be given as a branch name, a commit-id, or a tag. If this option is omitted, the current branch is assumed. :: The name of an existing branch to rename. :: The new name for an existing branch. The same restrictions as for applies. Examples -------- Start development off of a known tag:: + ------------ $ git clone git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/.../linux-2.6 my2.6 $ cd my2.6 $ git branch my2.6.14 v2.6.14 <1> $ git checkout my2.6.14 ------------ + <1> This step and the next one could be combined into a single step with "checkout -b my2.6.14 v2.6.14". Delete unneeded branch:: + ------------ $ git clone git://git.kernel.org/.../git.git my.git $ cd my.git $ git branch -d -r origin/todo origin/html origin/man <1> $ git branch -D test <2> ------------ + <1> Delete remote-tracking branches "todo", "html", "man". Next 'fetch' or 'pull' will create them again unless you configure them not to. See linkgit:git-fetch[1]. <2> Delete "test" branch even if the "master" branch (or whichever branch is currently checked out) does not have all commits from test branch. Notes ----- If you are creating a branch that you want to immediately checkout, it's easier to use the git checkout command with its `-b` option to create a branch and check it out with a single command. The options `--contains`, `--merged` and `--no-merged` serves three related but different purposes: - `--contains ` is used to find all branches which will need special attention if were to be rebased or amended, since those branches contain the specified . - `--merged` is used to find all branches which can be safely deleted, since those branches are fully contained by HEAD. - `--no-merged` is used to find branches which are candidates for merging into HEAD, since those branches are not fully contained by HEAD. Author ------ Written by Linus Torvalds and Junio C Hamano Documentation -------------- Documentation by Junio C Hamano and the git-list . GIT --- Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite