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215a7ad1 JH |
1 | git-checkout(1) |
2 | =============== | |
7fc9d69f JH |
3 | |
4 | NAME | |
5 | ---- | |
c4ac525c | 6 | git-checkout - Switch branches or restore working tree files |
7fc9d69f JH |
7 | |
8 | SYNOPSIS | |
9 | -------- | |
71bb1033 | 10 | [verse] |
76cfadfc | 11 | 'git checkout' [-q] [-f] [-m] [<branch>] |
26776c97 JH |
12 | 'git checkout' [-q] [-f] [-m] --detach [<branch>] |
13 | 'git checkout' [-q] [-f] [-m] [--detach] <commit> | |
02ac9837 | 14 | 'git checkout' [-q] [-f] [-m] [[-b|-B|--orphan] <new_branch>] [<start_point>] |
8ea1189e | 15 | 'git checkout' [-f|--ours|--theirs|-m|--conflict=<style>] [<tree-ish>] [--] <pathspec>... |
a9aecc7a | 16 | 'git checkout' [-f|--ours|--theirs|-m|--conflict=<style>] [<tree-ish>] --pathspec-from-file=<file> [--pathspec-file-nul] |
8ea1189e | 17 | 'git checkout' (-p|--patch) [<tree-ish>] [--] [<pathspec>...] |
7fc9d69f JH |
18 | |
19 | DESCRIPTION | |
20 | ----------- | |
b831deda | 21 | Updates files in the working tree to match the version in the index |
8ea1189e | 22 | or the specified tree. If no pathspec was given, 'git checkout' will |
b831deda | 23 | also update `HEAD` to set the specified branch as the current |
76cfadfc | 24 | branch. |
4aaa7027 | 25 | |
37f80025 | 26 | 'git checkout' [<branch>]:: |
181e3725 | 27 | To prepare for working on `<branch>`, switch to it by updating |
e1cdf633 | 28 | the index and the files in the working tree, and by pointing |
181e3725 | 29 | `HEAD` at the branch. Local modifications to the files in the |
e1cdf633 | 30 | working tree are kept, so that they can be committed to the |
181e3725 | 31 | `<branch>`. |
e1cdf633 | 32 | + |
181e3725 | 33 | If `<branch>` is not found but there does exist a tracking branch in |
ccb111b3 NTND |
34 | exactly one remote (call it `<remote>`) with a matching name and |
35 | `--no-guess` is not specified, treat as equivalent to | |
00bb4378 CR |
36 | + |
37 | ------------ | |
38 | $ git checkout -b <branch> --track <remote>/<branch> | |
39 | ------------ | |
40 | + | |
181e3725 | 41 | You could omit `<branch>`, in which case the command degenerates to |
be94568b | 42 | "check out the current branch", which is a glorified no-op with |
e1cdf633 CR |
43 | rather expensive side-effects to show only the tracking information, |
44 | if exists, for the current branch. | |
45 | ||
02ac9837 | 46 | 'git checkout' -b|-B <new_branch> [<start point>]:: |
4aaa7027 | 47 | |
e1cdf633 CR |
48 | Specifying `-b` causes a new branch to be created as if |
49 | linkgit:git-branch[1] were called and then checked out. In | |
50 | this case you can use the `--track` or `--no-track` options, | |
51 | which will be passed to 'git branch'. As a convenience, | |
52 | `--track` without `-b` implies branch creation; see the | |
53 | description of `--track` below. | |
02ac9837 | 54 | + |
181e3725 | 55 | If `-B` is given, `<new_branch>` is created if it doesn't exist; otherwise, it |
02ac9837 TRC |
56 | is reset. This is the transactional equivalent of |
57 | + | |
58 | ------------ | |
59 | $ git branch -f <branch> [<start point>] | |
60 | $ git checkout <branch> | |
61 | ------------ | |
62 | + | |
63 | that is to say, the branch is not reset/created unless "git checkout" is | |
64 | successful. | |
bb0ceb62 | 65 | |
e1cdf633 | 66 | 'git checkout' --detach [<branch>]:: |
26776c97 | 67 | 'git checkout' [--detach] <commit>:: |
e1cdf633 | 68 | |
181e3725 | 69 | Prepare to work on top of `<commit>`, by detaching `HEAD` at it |
e1cdf633 CR |
70 | (see "DETACHED HEAD" section), and updating the index and the |
71 | files in the working tree. Local modifications to the files | |
72 | in the working tree are kept, so that the resulting working | |
73 | tree will be the state recorded in the commit plus the local | |
74 | modifications. | |
75 | + | |
181e3725 NTND |
76 | When the `<commit>` argument is a branch name, the `--detach` option can |
77 | be used to detach `HEAD` at the tip of the branch (`git checkout | |
78 | <branch>` would check out that branch without detaching `HEAD`). | |
26776c97 | 79 | + |
181e3725 | 80 | Omitting `<branch>` detaches `HEAD` at the tip of the current branch. |
e1cdf633 | 81 | |
8ea1189e | 82 | 'git checkout' [-f|--ours|--theirs|-m|--conflict=<style>] [<tree-ish>] [--] <pathspec>...:: |
a9aecc7a | 83 | 'git checkout' [-f|--ours|--theirs|-m|--conflict=<style>] [<tree-ish>] --pathspec-from-file=<file> [--pathspec-file-nul]:: |
4aaa7027 | 84 | |
8ea1189e AM |
85 | Overwrite the contents of the files that match the pathspec. |
86 | When the `<tree-ish>` (most often a commit) is not given, | |
87 | overwrite working tree with the contents in the index. | |
88 | When the `<tree-ish>` is given, overwrite both the index and | |
89 | the working tree with the contents at the `<tree-ish>`. | |
c4ac525c | 90 | + |
b831deda JN |
91 | The index may contain unmerged entries because of a previous failed merge. |
92 | By default, if you try to check out such an entry from the index, the | |
db941099 | 93 | checkout operation will fail and nothing will be checked out. |
b831deda | 94 | Using `-f` will ignore these unmerged entries. The contents from a |
38901a48 | 95 | specific side of the merge can be checked out of the index by |
b831deda JN |
96 | using `--ours` or `--theirs`. With `-m`, changes made to the working tree |
97 | file can be discarded to re-create the original conflicted merge result. | |
7fc9d69f | 98 | |
b59698ae | 99 | 'git checkout' (-p|--patch) [<tree-ish>] [--] [<pathspec>...]:: |
6fdc9ad2 AM |
100 | This is similar to the previous mode, but lets you use the |
101 | interactive interface to show the "diff" output and choose which | |
102 | hunks to use in the result. See below for the description of | |
103 | `--patch` option. | |
b59698ae | 104 | |
7fc9d69f JH |
105 | OPTIONS |
106 | ------- | |
6124aee5 | 107 | -q:: |
f7aec129 | 108 | --quiet:: |
2be7fcb4 | 109 | Quiet, suppress feedback messages. |
6124aee5 | 110 | |
d333f672 NTND |
111 | --progress:: |
112 | --no-progress:: | |
870ebdb9 ECA |
113 | Progress status is reported on the standard error stream |
114 | by default when it is attached to a terminal, unless `--quiet` | |
115 | is specified. This flag enables progress reporting even if not | |
116 | attached to a terminal, regardless of `--quiet`. | |
117 | ||
0270f7c5 | 118 | -f:: |
f7aec129 | 119 | --force:: |
db941099 | 120 | When switching branches, proceed even if the index or the |
181e3725 | 121 | working tree differs from `HEAD`. This is used to throw away |
db941099 JH |
122 | local changes. |
123 | + | |
124 | When checking out paths from the index, do not fail upon unmerged | |
125 | entries; instead, unmerged entries are ignored. | |
0270f7c5 | 126 | |
38901a48 JH |
127 | --ours:: |
128 | --theirs:: | |
129 | When checking out paths from the index, check out stage #2 | |
130 | ('ours') or #3 ('theirs') for unmerged paths. | |
f3030165 SE |
131 | + |
132 | Note that during `git rebase` and `git pull --rebase`, 'ours' and | |
133 | 'theirs' may appear swapped; `--ours` gives the version from the | |
134 | branch the changes are rebased onto, while `--theirs` gives the | |
135 | version from the branch that holds your work that is being rebased. | |
136 | + | |
137 | This is because `rebase` is used in a workflow that treats the | |
138 | history at the remote as the shared canonical one, and treats the | |
139 | work done on the branch you are rebasing as the third-party work to | |
140 | be integrated, and you are temporarily assuming the role of the | |
141 | keeper of the canonical history during the rebase. As the keeper of | |
142 | the canonical history, you need to view the history from the remote | |
143 | as `ours` (i.e. "our shared canonical history"), while what you did | |
144 | on your side branch as `theirs` (i.e. "one contributor's work on top | |
145 | of it"). | |
0270f7c5 | 146 | |
45aaf031 | 147 | -b <new_branch>:: |
181e3725 NTND |
148 | Create a new branch named `<new_branch>` and start it at |
149 | `<start_point>`; see linkgit:git-branch[1] for details. | |
7fc9d69f | 150 | |
45aaf031 | 151 | -B <new_branch>:: |
181e3725 NTND |
152 | Creates the branch `<new_branch>` and start it at `<start_point>`; |
153 | if it already exists, then reset it to `<start_point>`. This is | |
02ac9837 TRC |
154 | equivalent to running "git branch" with "-f"; see |
155 | linkgit:git-branch[1] for details. | |
156 | ||
3240240f SB |
157 | -t:: |
158 | --track:: | |
26d22dc6 JK |
159 | When creating a new branch, set up "upstream" configuration. See |
160 | "--track" in linkgit:git-branch[1] for details. | |
bb0ceb62 | 161 | + |
23f8239b | 162 | If no `-b` option is given, the name of the new branch will be |
fa83a33b JH |
163 | derived from the remote-tracking branch, by looking at the local part of |
164 | the refspec configured for the corresponding remote, and then stripping | |
165 | the initial part up to the "*". | |
181e3725 NTND |
166 | This would tell us to use `hack` as the local branch when branching |
167 | off of `origin/hack` (or `remotes/origin/hack`, or even | |
168 | `refs/remotes/origin/hack`). If the given name has no slash, or the above | |
9188ed89 | 169 | guessing results in an empty name, the guessing is aborted. You can |
23f8239b | 170 | explicitly give a name with `-b` in such a case. |
0746d19a PB |
171 | |
172 | --no-track:: | |
167d7445 | 173 | Do not set up "upstream" configuration, even if the |
181e3725 | 174 | `branch.autoSetupMerge` configuration variable is true. |
0746d19a | 175 | |
ccb111b3 NTND |
176 | --guess:: |
177 | --no-guess:: | |
178 | If `<branch>` is not found but there does exist a tracking | |
179 | branch in exactly one remote (call it `<remote>`) with a | |
180 | matching name, treat as equivalent to | |
181 | + | |
182 | ------------ | |
183 | $ git checkout -b <branch> --track <remote>/<branch> | |
184 | ------------ | |
185 | + | |
186 | If the branch exists in multiple remotes and one of them is named by | |
187 | the `checkout.defaultRemote` configuration variable, we'll use that | |
188 | one for the purposes of disambiguation, even if the `<branch>` isn't | |
189 | unique across all remotes. Set it to | |
190 | e.g. `checkout.defaultRemote=origin` to always checkout remote | |
191 | branches from there if `<branch>` is ambiguous but exists on the | |
192 | 'origin' remote. See also `checkout.defaultRemote` in | |
193 | linkgit:git-config[1]. | |
194 | + | |
64f1f58f DL |
195 | `--guess` is the default behavior. Use `--no-guess` to disable it. |
196 | + | |
197 | The default behavior can be set via the `checkout.guess` configuration | |
198 | variable. | |
0746d19a | 199 | |
969d326d | 200 | -l:: |
26d22dc6 JK |
201 | Create the new branch's reflog; see linkgit:git-branch[1] for |
202 | details. | |
969d326d | 203 | |
07351d98 | 204 | -d:: |
32669671 JH |
205 | --detach:: |
206 | Rather than checking out a branch to work on it, check out a | |
207 | commit for inspection and discardable experiments. | |
181e3725 NTND |
208 | This is the default behavior of `git checkout <commit>` when |
209 | `<commit>` is not a branch name. See the "DETACHED HEAD" section | |
32669671 JH |
210 | below for details. |
211 | ||
45aaf031 | 212 | --orphan <new_branch>:: |
181e3725 NTND |
213 | Create a new 'orphan' branch, named `<new_branch>`, started from |
214 | `<start_point>` and switch to it. The first commit made on this | |
feb98d13 EM |
215 | new branch will have no parents and it will be the root of a new |
216 | history totally disconnected from all the other branches and | |
217 | commits. | |
9db5ebf4 | 218 | + |
feb98d13 | 219 | The index and the working tree are adjusted as if you had previously run |
181e3725 NTND |
220 | `git checkout <start_point>`. This allows you to start a new history |
221 | that records a set of paths similar to `<start_point>` by easily running | |
222 | `git commit -a` to make the root commit. | |
9db5ebf4 | 223 | + |
feb98d13 EM |
224 | This can be useful when you want to publish the tree from a commit |
225 | without exposing its full history. You might want to do this to publish | |
226 | an open source branch of a project whose current tree is "clean", but | |
227 | whose full history contains proprietary or otherwise encumbered bits of | |
228 | code. | |
229 | + | |
230 | If you want to start a disconnected history that records a set of paths | |
181e3725 | 231 | that is totally different from the one of `<start_point>`, then you should |
feb98d13 | 232 | clear the index and the working tree right after creating the orphan |
181e3725 | 233 | branch by running `git rm -rf .` from the top level of the working tree. |
feb98d13 EM |
234 | Afterwards you will be ready to prepare your new files, repopulating the |
235 | working tree, by copying them from elsewhere, extracting a tarball, etc. | |
9db5ebf4 | 236 | |
08d595dc NTND |
237 | --ignore-skip-worktree-bits:: |
238 | In sparse checkout mode, `git checkout -- <paths>` would | |
181e3725 NTND |
239 | update only entries matched by `<paths>` and sparse patterns |
240 | in `$GIT_DIR/info/sparse-checkout`. This option ignores | |
241 | the sparse patterns and adds back any files in `<paths>`. | |
08d595dc | 242 | |
1be0659e | 243 | -m:: |
eac5a401 | 244 | --merge:: |
0cf8581e JH |
245 | When switching branches, |
246 | if you have local modifications to one or more files that | |
71bb1033 JL |
247 | are different between the current branch and the branch to |
248 | which you are switching, the command refuses to switch | |
249 | branches in order to preserve your modifications in context. | |
250 | However, with this option, a three-way merge between the current | |
1be0659e JH |
251 | branch, your working tree contents, and the new branch |
252 | is done, and you will be on the new branch. | |
253 | + | |
254 | When a merge conflict happens, the index entries for conflicting | |
255 | paths are left unmerged, and you need to resolve the conflicts | |
d7f078b8 SP |
256 | and mark the resolved paths with `git add` (or `git rm` if the merge |
257 | should result in deletion of the path). | |
0cf8581e JH |
258 | + |
259 | When checking out paths from the index, this option lets you recreate | |
260 | the conflicted merge in the specified paths. | |
a7256deb NTND |
261 | + |
262 | When switching branches with `--merge`, staged changes may be lost. | |
1be0659e | 263 | |
eac5a401 | 264 | --conflict=<style>:: |
181e3725 | 265 | The same as `--merge` option above, but changes the way the |
eac5a401 | 266 | conflicting hunks are presented, overriding the |
181e3725 | 267 | `merge.conflictStyle` configuration variable. Possible values are |
eac5a401 JH |
268 | "merge" (default) and "diff3" (in addition to what is shown by |
269 | "merge" style, shows the original contents). | |
1be0659e | 270 | |
4f353658 TR |
271 | -p:: |
272 | --patch:: | |
273 | Interactively select hunks in the difference between the | |
181e3725 | 274 | `<tree-ish>` (or the index, if unspecified) and the working |
4f353658 | 275 | tree. The chosen hunks are then applied in reverse to the |
181e3725 | 276 | working tree (and if a `<tree-ish>` was specified, the index). |
4f353658 TR |
277 | + |
278 | This means that you can use `git checkout -p` to selectively discard | |
a31538e2 | 279 | edits from your current working tree. See the ``Interactive Mode'' |
6cf378f0 | 280 | section of linkgit:git-add[1] to learn how to operate the `--patch` mode. |
091e04bc TG |
281 | + |
282 | Note that this option uses the no overlay mode by default (see also | |
d333f672 | 283 | `--overlay`), and currently doesn't support overlay mode. |
4f353658 | 284 | |
1d0fa898 NTND |
285 | --ignore-other-worktrees:: |
286 | `git checkout` refuses when the wanted ref is already checked | |
287 | out by another worktree. This option makes it check the ref | |
288 | out anyway. In other words, the ref can be held by more than one | |
289 | worktree. | |
290 | ||
9d223d43 NTND |
291 | --overwrite-ignore:: |
292 | --no-overwrite-ignore:: | |
293 | Silently overwrite ignored files when switching branches. This | |
294 | is the default behavior. Use `--no-overwrite-ignore` to abort | |
295 | the operation when the new branch contains ignored files. | |
296 | ||
d333f672 NTND |
297 | --recurse-submodules:: |
298 | --no-recurse-submodules:: | |
acbfae32 | 299 | Using `--recurse-submodules` will update the content of all active |
1fc458d9 SB |
300 | submodules according to the commit recorded in the superproject. If |
301 | local modifications in a submodule would be overwritten the checkout | |
181e3725 | 302 | will fail unless `-f` is used. If nothing (or `--no-recurse-submodules`) |
b3cec573 | 303 | is used, submodules working trees will not be updated. |
181e3725 NTND |
304 | Just like linkgit:git-submodule[1], this will detach `HEAD` of the |
305 | submodule. | |
be4908f1 | 306 | |
d333f672 NTND |
307 | --overlay:: |
308 | --no-overlay:: | |
091e04bc TG |
309 | In the default overlay mode, `git checkout` never |
310 | removes files from the index or the working tree. When | |
311 | specifying `--no-overlay`, files that appear in the index and | |
181e3725 NTND |
312 | working tree, but not in `<tree-ish>` are removed, to make them |
313 | match `<tree-ish>` exactly. | |
091e04bc | 314 | |
a9aecc7a AM |
315 | --pathspec-from-file=<file>:: |
316 | Pathspec is passed in `<file>` instead of commandline args. If | |
317 | `<file>` is exactly `-` then standard input is used. Pathspec | |
318 | elements are separated by LF or CR/LF. Pathspec elements can be | |
319 | quoted as explained for the configuration variable `core.quotePath` | |
320 | (see linkgit:git-config[1]). See also `--pathspec-file-nul` and | |
321 | global `--literal-pathspecs`. | |
322 | ||
323 | --pathspec-file-nul:: | |
324 | Only meaningful with `--pathspec-from-file`. Pathspec elements are | |
325 | separated with NUL character and all other characters are taken | |
326 | literally (including newlines and quotes). | |
327 | ||
0270f7c5 | 328 | <branch>:: |
0808723b JK |
329 | Branch to checkout; if it refers to a branch (i.e., a name that, |
330 | when prepended with "refs/heads/", is a valid ref), then that | |
331 | branch is checked out. Otherwise, if it refers to a valid | |
181e3725 | 332 | commit, your `HEAD` becomes "detached" and you are no longer on |
0808723b | 333 | any branch (see below for details). |
696acf45 | 334 | + |
181e3725 | 335 | You can use the `@{-N}` syntax to refer to the N-th last |
75ce1495 | 336 | branch/commit checked out using "git checkout" operation. You may |
181e3725 | 337 | also specify `-` which is synonymous to `@{-1}`. |
873c3472 | 338 | + |
181e3725 | 339 | As a special case, you may use `A...B` as a shortcut for the |
873c3472 MG |
340 | merge base of `A` and `B` if there is exactly one merge base. You can |
341 | leave out at most one of `A` and `B`, in which case it defaults to `HEAD`. | |
5e1a2e8c | 342 | |
76cfadfc JK |
343 | <new_branch>:: |
344 | Name for the new branch. | |
345 | ||
346 | <start_point>:: | |
347 | The name of a commit at which to start the new branch; see | |
181e3725 | 348 | linkgit:git-branch[1] for details. Defaults to `HEAD`. |
e3d6539d DL |
349 | + |
350 | As a special case, you may use `"A...B"` as a shortcut for the | |
351 | merge base of `A` and `B` if there is exactly one merge base. You can | |
352 | leave out at most one of `A` and `B`, in which case it defaults to `HEAD`. | |
76cfadfc JK |
353 | |
354 | <tree-ish>:: | |
355 | Tree to checkout from (when paths are given). If not specified, | |
356 | the index will be used. | |
c693ef78 DL |
357 | + |
358 | As a special case, you may use `"A...B"` as a shortcut for the | |
359 | merge base of `A` and `B` if there is exactly one merge base. You can | |
360 | leave out at most one of `A` and `B`, in which case it defaults to `HEAD`. | |
76cfadfc | 361 | |
8ea1189e AM |
362 | \--:: |
363 | Do not interpret any more arguments as options. | |
76cfadfc | 364 | |
8ea1189e AM |
365 | <pathspec>...:: |
366 | Limits the paths affected by the operation. | |
367 | + | |
368 | For more details, see the 'pathspec' entry in linkgit:gitglossary[7]. | |
5e1a2e8c | 369 | |
32669671 | 370 | DETACHED HEAD |
5e1a2e8c | 371 | ------------- |
181e3725 | 372 | `HEAD` normally refers to a named branch (e.g. `master`). Meanwhile, each |
be8ef33c | 373 | branch refers to a specific commit. Let's look at a repo with three |
181e3725 | 374 | commits, one of them tagged, and with branch `master` checked out: |
5e1a2e8c | 375 | |
be8ef33c | 376 | ------------ |
39a36827 AH |
377 | HEAD (refers to branch 'master') |
378 | | | |
379 | v | |
be8ef33c JS |
380 | a---b---c branch 'master' (refers to commit 'c') |
381 | ^ | |
382 | | | |
383 | tag 'v2.0' (refers to commit 'b') | |
384 | ------------ | |
385 | ||
386 | When a commit is created in this state, the branch is updated to refer to | |
181e3725 NTND |
387 | the new commit. Specifically, 'git commit' creates a new commit `d`, whose |
388 | parent is commit `c`, and then updates branch `master` to refer to new | |
389 | commit `d`. `HEAD` still refers to branch `master` and so indirectly now refers | |
390 | to commit `d`: | |
5e1a2e8c JH |
391 | |
392 | ------------ | |
be8ef33c JS |
393 | $ edit; git add; git commit |
394 | ||
39a36827 AH |
395 | HEAD (refers to branch 'master') |
396 | | | |
397 | v | |
be8ef33c JS |
398 | a---b---c---d branch 'master' (refers to commit 'd') |
399 | ^ | |
400 | | | |
401 | tag 'v2.0' (refers to commit 'b') | |
5e1a2e8c JH |
402 | ------------ |
403 | ||
be8ef33c JS |
404 | It is sometimes useful to be able to checkout a commit that is not at |
405 | the tip of any named branch, or even to create a new commit that is not | |
406 | referenced by a named branch. Let's look at what happens when we | |
181e3725 | 407 | checkout commit `b` (here we show two ways this may be done): |
cec8d146 JH |
408 | |
409 | ------------ | |
be8ef33c JS |
410 | $ git checkout v2.0 # or |
411 | $ git checkout master^^ | |
412 | ||
413 | HEAD (refers to commit 'b') | |
414 | | | |
415 | v | |
416 | a---b---c---d branch 'master' (refers to commit 'd') | |
417 | ^ | |
418 | | | |
419 | tag 'v2.0' (refers to commit 'b') | |
420 | ------------ | |
5e1a2e8c | 421 | |
181e3725 NTND |
422 | Notice that regardless of which checkout command we use, `HEAD` now refers |
423 | directly to commit `b`. This is known as being in detached `HEAD` state. | |
424 | It means simply that `HEAD` refers to a specific commit, as opposed to | |
be8ef33c | 425 | referring to a named branch. Let's see what happens when we create a commit: |
cec8d146 | 426 | |
cec8d146 | 427 | ------------ |
be8ef33c JS |
428 | $ edit; git add; git commit |
429 | ||
430 | HEAD (refers to commit 'e') | |
431 | | | |
432 | v | |
433 | e | |
434 | / | |
435 | a---b---c---d branch 'master' (refers to commit 'd') | |
436 | ^ | |
437 | | | |
438 | tag 'v2.0' (refers to commit 'b') | |
cec8d146 | 439 | ------------ |
7fc9d69f | 440 | |
181e3725 | 441 | There is now a new commit `e`, but it is referenced only by `HEAD`. We can |
be8ef33c | 442 | of course add yet another commit in this state: |
7fc9d69f | 443 | |
be8ef33c JS |
444 | ------------ |
445 | $ edit; git add; git commit | |
446 | ||
447 | HEAD (refers to commit 'f') | |
448 | | | |
449 | v | |
450 | e---f | |
451 | / | |
452 | a---b---c---d branch 'master' (refers to commit 'd') | |
453 | ^ | |
454 | | | |
455 | tag 'v2.0' (refers to commit 'b') | |
456 | ------------ | |
457 | ||
2de9b711 | 458 | In fact, we can perform all the normal Git operations. But, let's look |
181e3725 | 459 | at what happens when we then checkout `master`: |
be8ef33c JS |
460 | |
461 | ------------ | |
462 | $ git checkout master | |
463 | ||
39a36827 | 464 | HEAD (refers to branch 'master') |
be8ef33c JS |
465 | e---f | |
466 | / v | |
467 | a---b---c---d branch 'master' (refers to commit 'd') | |
468 | ^ | |
469 | | | |
470 | tag 'v2.0' (refers to commit 'b') | |
471 | ------------ | |
472 | ||
473 | It is important to realize that at this point nothing refers to commit | |
181e3725 | 474 | `f`. Eventually commit `f` (and by extension commit `e`) will be deleted |
2de9b711 | 475 | by the routine Git garbage collection process, unless we create a reference |
181e3725 | 476 | before that happens. If we have not yet moved away from commit `f`, |
be8ef33c JS |
477 | any of these will create a reference to it: |
478 | ||
479 | ------------ | |
480 | $ git checkout -b foo <1> | |
481 | $ git branch foo <2> | |
482 | $ git tag foo <3> | |
483 | ------------ | |
484 | ||
181e3725 NTND |
485 | <1> creates a new branch `foo`, which refers to commit `f`, and then |
486 | updates `HEAD` to refer to branch `foo`. In other words, we'll no longer | |
487 | be in detached `HEAD` state after this command. | |
be8ef33c | 488 | |
181e3725 NTND |
489 | <2> similarly creates a new branch `foo`, which refers to commit `f`, |
490 | but leaves `HEAD` detached. | |
be8ef33c | 491 | |
181e3725 NTND |
492 | <3> creates a new tag `foo`, which refers to commit `f`, |
493 | leaving `HEAD` detached. | |
be8ef33c | 494 | |
181e3725 | 495 | If we have moved away from commit `f`, then we must first recover its object |
be8ef33c | 496 | name (typically by using git reflog), and then we can create a reference to |
181e3725 | 497 | it. For example, to see the last two commits to which `HEAD` referred, we |
be8ef33c JS |
498 | can use either of these commands: |
499 | ||
500 | ------------ | |
501 | $ git reflog -2 HEAD # or | |
502 | $ git log -g -2 HEAD | |
503 | ------------ | |
4aaa7027 | 504 | |
19e56563 NTND |
505 | ARGUMENT DISAMBIGUATION |
506 | ----------------------- | |
507 | ||
181e3725 NTND |
508 | When there is only one argument given and it is not `--` (e.g. `git |
509 | checkout abc`), and when the argument is both a valid `<tree-ish>` | |
510 | (e.g. a branch `abc` exists) and a valid `<pathspec>` (e.g. a file | |
19e56563 NTND |
511 | or a directory whose name is "abc" exists), Git would usually ask |
512 | you to disambiguate. Because checking out a branch is so common an | |
181e3725 | 513 | operation, however, `git checkout abc` takes "abc" as a `<tree-ish>` |
19e56563 NTND |
514 | in such a situation. Use `git checkout -- <pathspec>` if you want |
515 | to checkout these paths out of the index. | |
516 | ||
1be0659e JH |
517 | EXAMPLES |
518 | -------- | |
4aaa7027 | 519 | |
1be0659e | 520 | . The following sequence checks out the `master` branch, reverts |
181e3725 | 521 | the `Makefile` to two revisions back, deletes `hello.c` by |
ba170517 | 522 | mistake, and gets it back from the index. |
1be0659e | 523 | + |
4aaa7027 | 524 | ------------ |
48aeecdc SE |
525 | $ git checkout master <1> |
526 | $ git checkout master~2 Makefile <2> | |
4aaa7027 | 527 | $ rm -f hello.c |
48aeecdc SE |
528 | $ git checkout hello.c <3> |
529 | ------------ | |
530 | + | |
1e2ccd3a | 531 | <1> switch branch |
c7cb12b8 | 532 | <2> take a file out of another commit |
181e3725 | 533 | <3> restore `hello.c` from the index |
1be0659e | 534 | + |
caae319e JH |
535 | If you want to check out _all_ C source files out of the index, |
536 | you can say | |
537 | + | |
538 | ------------ | |
539 | $ git checkout -- '*.c' | |
540 | ------------ | |
541 | + | |
542 | Note the quotes around `*.c`. The file `hello.c` will also be | |
543 | checked out, even though it is no longer in the working tree, | |
544 | because the file globbing is used to match entries in the index | |
545 | (not in the working tree by the shell). | |
546 | + | |
48aeecdc SE |
547 | If you have an unfortunate branch that is named `hello.c`, this |
548 | step would be confused as an instruction to switch to that branch. | |
549 | You should instead write: | |
1be0659e | 550 | + |
4aaa7027 JH |
551 | ------------ |
552 | $ git checkout -- hello.c | |
553 | ------------ | |
554 | ||
c7cb12b8 | 555 | . After working in the wrong branch, switching to the correct |
ba170517 | 556 | branch would be done using: |
1be0659e JH |
557 | + |
558 | ------------ | |
559 | $ git checkout mytopic | |
560 | ------------ | |
561 | + | |
181e3725 | 562 | However, your "wrong" branch and correct `mytopic` branch may |
c7cb12b8 | 563 | differ in files that you have modified locally, in which case |
1be0659e JH |
564 | the above checkout would fail like this: |
565 | + | |
566 | ------------ | |
567 | $ git checkout mytopic | |
142183d0 | 568 | error: You have local changes to 'frotz'; not switching branches. |
1be0659e JH |
569 | ------------ |
570 | + | |
571 | You can give the `-m` flag to the command, which would try a | |
572 | three-way merge: | |
573 | + | |
574 | ------------ | |
575 | $ git checkout -m mytopic | |
576 | Auto-merging frotz | |
577 | ------------ | |
578 | + | |
579 | After this three-way merge, the local modifications are _not_ | |
580 | registered in your index file, so `git diff` would show you what | |
581 | changes you made since the tip of the new branch. | |
582 | ||
583 | . When a merge conflict happens during switching branches with | |
ba170517 | 584 | the `-m` option, you would see something like this: |
1be0659e JH |
585 | + |
586 | ------------ | |
587 | $ git checkout -m mytopic | |
588 | Auto-merging frotz | |
1be0659e JH |
589 | ERROR: Merge conflict in frotz |
590 | fatal: merge program failed | |
591 | ------------ | |
592 | + | |
593 | At this point, `git diff` shows the changes cleanly merged as in | |
594 | the previous example, as well as the changes in the conflicted | |
595 | files. Edit and resolve the conflict and mark it resolved with | |
d7f078b8 | 596 | `git add` as usual: |
1be0659e JH |
597 | + |
598 | ------------ | |
599 | $ edit frotz | |
d7f078b8 | 600 | $ git add frotz |
1be0659e JH |
601 | ------------ |
602 | ||
d787d311 NTND |
603 | SEE ALSO |
604 | -------- | |
46e91b66 NTND |
605 | linkgit:git-switch[1], |
606 | linkgit:git-restore[1] | |
d787d311 | 607 | |
7fc9d69f JH |
608 | GIT |
609 | --- | |
9e1f0a85 | 610 | Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite |