Documentation/git-branch.txt

   1 git-branch(1)
   2 =============
   3
   4 NAME
   5 ----
   6 git-branch - List, create, or delete branches
   7
   8 SYNOPSIS
   9 --------
  10 [verse]
  11 'git branch' [--color[=<when>] | --no-color] [-r | -a]
  12         [--list] [-v [--abbrev=<length> | --no-abbrev]]
  13         [(--merged | --no-merged | --contains) [<commit>]] [<pattern>...]
  14 'git branch' [--set-upstream | --track | --no-track] [-l] [-f] <branchname> [<start-point>]
  15 'git branch' (-m | -M) [<oldbranch>] <newbranch>
  16 'git branch' (-d | -D) [-r] <branchname>...
  17 'git branch' --edit-description [<branchname>]
  18
  19 DESCRIPTION
  20 -----------
  21
  22 With no arguments, existing branches are listed and the current branch will
  23 be highlighted with an asterisk.  Option `-r` causes the remote-tracking
  24 branches to be listed, and option `-a` shows both. This list mode is also
  25 activated by the `--list` option (see below).
  26 <pattern> restricts the output to matching branches, the pattern is a shell
  27 wildcard (i.e., matched using fnmatch(3)).
  28 Multiple patterns may be given; if any of them matches, the branch is shown.
  29
  30 With `--contains`, shows only the branches that contain the named commit
  31 (in other words, the branches whose tip commits are descendants of the
  32 named commit).  With `--merged`, only branches merged into the named
  33 commit (i.e. the branches whose tip commits are reachable from the named
  34 commit) will be listed.  With `--no-merged` only branches not merged into
  35 the named commit will be listed.  If the <commit> argument is missing it
  36 defaults to 'HEAD' (i.e. the tip of the current branch).
  37
  38 The command's second form creates a new branch head named <branchname>
  39 which points to the current 'HEAD', or <start-point> if given.
  40
  41 Note that this will create the new branch, but it will not switch the
  42 working tree to it; use "git checkout <newbranch>" to switch to the
  43 new branch.
  44
  45 When a local branch is started off a remote-tracking branch, git sets up the
  46 branch so that 'git pull' will appropriately merge from
  47 the remote-tracking branch. This behavior may be changed via the global
  48 `branch.autosetupmerge` configuration flag. That setting can be
  49 overridden by using the `--track` and `--no-track` options, and
  50 changed later using `git branch --set-upstream`.
  51
  52 With a `-m` or `-M` option, <oldbranch> will be renamed to <newbranch>.
  53 If <oldbranch> had a corresponding reflog, it is renamed to match
  54 <newbranch>, and a reflog entry is created to remember the branch
  55 renaming. If <newbranch> exists, -M must be used to force the rename
  56 to happen.
  57
  58 With a `-d` or `-D` option, `<branchname>` will be deleted.  You may
  59 specify more than one branch for deletion.  If the branch currently
  60 has a reflog then the reflog will also be deleted.
  61
  62 Use `-r` together with `-d` to delete remote-tracking branches. Note, that it
  63 only makes sense to delete remote-tracking branches if they no longer exist
  64 in the remote repository or if 'git fetch' was configured not to fetch
  65 them again. See also the 'prune' subcommand of linkgit:git-remote[1] for a
  66 way to clean up all obsolete remote-tracking branches.
  67
  68
  69 OPTIONS
  70 -------
  71 -d::
  72 --delete::
  73         Delete a branch. The branch must be fully merged in its
  74         upstream branch, or in `HEAD` if no upstream was set with
  75         `--track` or `--set-upstream`.
  76
  77 -D::
  78         Delete a branch irrespective of its merged status.
  79
  80 -l::
  81 --create-reflog::
  82         Create the branch's reflog.  This activates recording of
  83         all changes made to the branch ref, enabling use of date
  84         based sha1 expressions such as "<branchname>@\{yesterday}".
  85         Note that in non-bare repositories, reflogs are usually
  86         enabled by default by the `core.logallrefupdates` config option.
  87
  88 -f::
  89 --force::
  90         Reset <branchname> to <startpoint> if <branchname> exists
  91         already. Without `-f` 'git branch' refuses to change an existing branch.
  92
  93 -m::
  94 --move::
  95         Move/rename a branch and the corresponding reflog.
  96
  97 -M::
  98         Move/rename a branch even if the new branch name already exists.
  99
 100 --color[=<when>]::
 101         Color branches to highlight current, local, and
 102         remote-tracking branches.
 103         The value must be always (the default), never, or auto.
 104
 105 --no-color::
 106         Turn off branch colors, even when the configuration file gives the
 107         default to color output.
 108         Same as `--color=never`.
 109
 110 -r::
 111 --remotes::
 112         List or delete (if used with -d) the remote-tracking branches.
 113
 114 -a::
 115 --all::
 116         List both remote-tracking branches and local branches.
 117
 118 --list::
 119         Activate the list mode. `git branch <pattern>` would try to create a branch,
 120         use `git branch --list <pattern>` to list matching branches.
 121
 122 -v::
 123 --verbose::
 124         When in list mode,
 125         show sha1 and commit subject line for each head, along with
 126         relationship to upstream branch (if any). If given twice, print
 127         the name of the upstream branch, as well.
 128
 129 --abbrev=<length>::
 130         Alter the sha1's minimum display length in the output listing.
 131         The default value is 7 and can be overridden by the `core.abbrev`
 132         config option.
 133
 134 --no-abbrev::
 135         Display the full sha1s in the output listing rather than abbreviating them.
 136
 137 -t::
 138 --track::
 139         When creating a new branch, set up configuration to mark the
 140         start-point branch as "upstream" from the new branch. This
 141         configuration will tell git to show the relationship between the
 142         two branches in `git status` and `git branch -v`. Furthermore,
 143         it directs `git pull` without arguments to pull from the
 144         upstream when the new branch is checked out.
 145 +
 146 This behavior is the default when the start point is a remote-tracking branch.
 147 Set the branch.autosetupmerge configuration variable to `false` if you
 148 want `git checkout` and `git branch` to always behave as if '--no-track'
 149 were given. Set it to `always` if you want this behavior when the
 150 start-point is either a local or remote-tracking branch.
 151
 152 --no-track::
 153         Do not set up "upstream" configuration, even if the
 154         branch.autosetupmerge configuration variable is true.
 155
 156 --set-upstream::
 157         If specified branch does not exist yet or if `--force` has been
 158         given, acts exactly like `--track`. Otherwise sets up configuration
 159         like `--track` would when creating the branch, except that where
 160         branch points to is not changed.
 161
 162 --edit-description::
 163         Open an editor and edit the text to explain what the branch is
 164         for, to be used by various other commands (e.g. `request-pull`).
 165
 166 --contains [<commit>]::
 167         Only list branches which contain the specified commit (HEAD
 168         if not specified).
 169
 170 --merged [<commit>]::
 171         Only list branches whose tips are reachable from the
 172         specified commit (HEAD if not specified).
 173
 174 --no-merged [<commit>]::
 175         Only list branches whose tips are not reachable from the
 176         specified commit (HEAD if not specified).
 177
 178 <branchname>::
 179         The name of the branch to create or delete.
 180         The new branch name must pass all checks defined by
 181         linkgit:git-check-ref-format[1].  Some of these checks
 182         may restrict the characters allowed in a branch name.
 183
 184 <start-point>::
 185         The new branch head will point to this commit.  It may be
 186         given as a branch name, a commit-id, or a tag.  If this
 187         option is omitted, the current HEAD will be used instead.
 188
 189 <oldbranch>::
 190         The name of an existing branch to rename.
 191
 192 <newbranch>::
 193         The new name for an existing branch. The same restrictions as for
 194         <branchname> apply.
 195
 196
 197 Examples
 198 --------
 199
 200 Start development from a known tag::
 201 +
 202 ------------
 203 $ git clone git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/.../linux-2.6 my2.6
 204 $ cd my2.6
 205 $ git branch my2.6.14 v2.6.14   <1>
 206 $ git checkout my2.6.14
 207 ------------
 208 +
 209 <1> This step and the next one could be combined into a single step with
 210 "checkout -b my2.6.14 v2.6.14".
 211
 212 Delete an unneeded branch::
 213 +
 214 ------------
 215 $ git clone git://git.kernel.org/.../git.git my.git
 216 $ cd my.git
 217 $ git branch -d -r origin/todo origin/html origin/man   <1>
 218 $ git branch -D test                                    <2>
 219 ------------
 220 +
 221 <1> Delete the remote-tracking branches "todo", "html" and "man". The next
 222 'fetch' or 'pull' will create them again unless you configure them not to.
 223 See linkgit:git-fetch[1].
 224 <2> Delete the "test" branch even if the "master" branch (or whichever branch
 225 is currently checked out) does not have all commits from the test branch.
 226
 227
 228 Notes
 229 -----
 230
 231 If you are creating a branch that you want to checkout immediately, it is
 232 easier to use the git checkout command with its `-b` option to create
 233 a branch and check it out with a single command.
 234
 235 The options `--contains`, `--merged` and `--no-merged` serve three related
 236 but different purposes:
 237
 238 - `--contains <commit>` is used to find all branches which will need
 239   special attention if <commit> were to be rebased or amended, since those
 240   branches contain the specified <commit>.
 241
 242 - `--merged` is used to find all branches which can be safely deleted,
 243   since those branches are fully contained by HEAD.
 244
 245 - `--no-merged` is used to find branches which are candidates for merging
 246   into HEAD, since those branches are not fully contained by HEAD.
 247
 248 SEE ALSO
 249 --------
 250 linkgit:git-check-ref-format[1],
 251 linkgit:git-fetch[1],
 252 linkgit:git-remote[1],
 253 link:user-manual.html#what-is-a-branch[``Understanding history: What is
 254 a branch?''] in the Git User's Manual.
 255
 256 GIT
 257 ---
 258 Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite