git-branch.txt

git-branch(1)
=============

NAME
----
git-branch - List, create, or delete branches

SYNOPSIS
--------
[verse]
'git branch' [--color | --no-color] [-r | -a]
[-v [--abbrev=<length> | --no-abbrev]]
[(--merged | --no-merged | --contains) [<commit>]]
'git branch' [--track | --no-track] [-l] [-f] <branchname> [<start-point>]
'git branch' (-m | -M) [<oldbranch>] <newbranch>
'git branch' (-d | -D) [-r] <branchname>...

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 <commit> argument defaults to
'HEAD' (i.e. the tip of the current branch).

In its second form, a new branch named <branchname> will be created.
It will start out with a head equal to the one given as <start-point>.
If no <start-point> 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 <newbranch>" 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, <oldbranch> will be renamed to <newbranch>.
If <oldbranch> had a corresponding reflog, it is renamed to match
<newbranch>, and a reflog entry is created to remember the branch
renaming. If <newbranch> exists, -M must be used to force the rename
to happen.

With a `-d` or `-D` option, `<branchname>` 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 "<branchname>@\{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=<length>::
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
<repository> <refspec>" 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 <commit>::
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.

<branchname>::
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.

<start-point>::
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.

<oldbranch>::
The name of an existing branch to rename.

<newbranch>::
The new name for an existing branch. The same restrictions as for
<branchname> 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 <commit>` is used to find all branches which will need
 special attention if <commit> were to be rebased or amended, since those
 branches contain the specified <commit>.

- `--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 <torvalds@osdl.org> and Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>

Documentation
--------------
Documentation by Junio C Hamano and the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.

GIT
---
Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite