1 git-branch(1)
2 =============
4 NAME
5 ----
6 git-branch - List, create, or delete branches
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>]
19 DESCRIPTION
20 -----------
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 tag is shown.
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).
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.
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.
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`.
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.
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.
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.
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`.
77 -D::
78 Delete a branch irrespective of its merged status.
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.
88 -f::
89 --force::
90 Reset <branchname> to <startpoint> if <branchname> exists
91 already. Without `-f` 'git branch' refuses to change an existing branch.
93 -m::
94 --move::
95 Move/rename a branch and the corresponding reflog.
97 -M::
98 Move/rename a branch even if the new branch name already exists.
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.
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`.
110 -r::
111 --remotes::
112 List or delete (if used with -d) the remote-tracking branches.
114 -a::
115 --all::
116 List both remote-tracking branches and local branches.
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.
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.
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.
134 --no-abbrev::
135 Display the full sha1s in the output listing rather than abbreviating them.
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.
152 --no-track::
153 Do not set up "upstream" configuration, even if the
154 branch.autosetupmerge configuration variable is true.
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.
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`).
166 --contains <commit>::
167 Only list branches which contain the specified commit.
169 --merged [<commit>]::
170 Only list branches whose tips are reachable from the
171 specified commit (HEAD if not specified).
173 --no-merged [<commit>]::
174 Only list branches whose tips are not reachable from the
175 specified commit (HEAD if not specified).
177 <branchname>::
178 The name of the branch to create or delete.
179 The new branch name must pass all checks defined by
180 linkgit:git-check-ref-format[1]. Some of these checks
181 may restrict the characters allowed in a branch name.
183 <start-point>::
184 The new branch head will point to this commit. It may be
185 given as a branch name, a commit-id, or a tag. If this
186 option is omitted, the current HEAD will be used instead.
188 <oldbranch>::
189 The name of an existing branch to rename.
191 <newbranch>::
192 The new name for an existing branch. The same restrictions as for
193 <branchname> apply.
196 Examples
197 --------
199 Start development from a known tag::
200 +
201 ------------
202 $ git clone git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/.../linux-2.6 my2.6
203 $ cd my2.6
204 $ git branch my2.6.14 v2.6.14 <1>
205 $ git checkout my2.6.14
206 ------------
207 +
208 <1> This step and the next one could be combined into a single step with
209 "checkout -b my2.6.14 v2.6.14".
211 Delete an unneeded branch::
212 +
213 ------------
214 $ git clone git://git.kernel.org/.../git.git my.git
215 $ cd my.git
216 $ git branch -d -r origin/todo origin/html origin/man <1>
217 $ git branch -D test <2>
218 ------------
219 +
220 <1> Delete the remote-tracking branches "todo", "html" and "man". The next
221 'fetch' or 'pull' will create them again unless you configure them not to.
222 See linkgit:git-fetch[1].
223 <2> Delete the "test" branch even if the "master" branch (or whichever branch
224 is currently checked out) does not have all commits from the test branch.
227 Notes
228 -----
230 If you are creating a branch that you want to checkout immediately, it is
231 easier to use the git checkout command with its `-b` option to create
232 a branch and check it out with a single command.
234 The options `--contains`, `--merged` and `--no-merged` serve three related
235 but different purposes:
237 - `--contains <commit>` is used to find all branches which will need
238 special attention if <commit> were to be rebased or amended, since those
239 branches contain the specified <commit>.
241 - `--merged` is used to find all branches which can be safely deleted,
242 since those branches are fully contained by HEAD.
244 - `--no-merged` is used to find branches which are candidates for merging
245 into HEAD, since those branches are not fully contained by HEAD.
247 SEE ALSO
248 --------
249 linkgit:git-check-ref-format[1],
250 linkgit:git-fetch[1],
251 linkgit:git-remote[1],
252 link:user-manual.html#what-is-a-branch[``Understanding history: What is
253 a branch?''] in the Git User's Manual.
255 GIT
256 ---
257 Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite