git-branch.txt

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

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

SYNOPSIS
--------
[verse]
'git-branch' [-r] [-a] [-v] [--abbrev=<length>]
'git-branch' [-l] [-f] <branchname> [<start-point>]
'git-branch' (-d | -D) <branchname>...

DESCRIPTION
-----------
With no arguments given a list of existing branches
will be shown, the current branch will be highlighted with an asterisk.
Option `-r` causes the remote-tracking branches to be listed,
and option `-a` shows both.

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.

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 ref log then the ref log will also be deleted.


OPTIONS
-------
-d::
Delete a branch. The branch must be fully merged.

-D::
Delete a branch irrespective of its index status.

-l::
Create the branch's ref log. This activates recording of
all changes to made 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.

-r::
List the remote-tracking branches.

-a::
List both remote-tracking branches and local branches.

-v::
Show sha1 and subject message for each head.

--abbrev=<length>::
Alter minimum display length for sha1 in output listing,
default value is 7.

<branchname>::
The name of the branch to create or delete.
The new branch name must pass all checks defined by
gitlink: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.



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 todo <1>
------------
+
<1> delete todo branch even if the "master" branch does not have all
commits from todo 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.


Author
------
Written by Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org> and Junio C Hamano <junkio@cox.net>

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

GIT
---
Part of the gitlink:git[7] suite