dce8c45ce92d513409094cf3084efe8466ae44d5
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 | --no-color] [-r | -a] [--merged | --no-merged]
12 [-v [--abbrev=<length> | --no-abbrev]]
13 [--contains <commit>]
14 'git branch' [--track | --no-track] [-l] [-f] <branchname> [<start-point>]
15 'git branch' (-m | -M) [<oldbranch>] <newbranch>
16 'git branch' (-d | -D) [-r] <branchname>...
18 DESCRIPTION
19 -----------
20 With no arguments given a list of existing branches
21 will be shown, the current branch will be highlighted with an asterisk.
22 Option `-r` causes the remote-tracking branches to be listed,
23 and option `-a` shows both.
24 With `--contains <commit>`, shows only the branches that
25 contains the named commit (in other words, the branches whose
26 tip commits are descendant of the named commit).
27 With `--merged`, only branches merged into HEAD will be listed, and
28 with `--no-merged` only branches not merged into HEAD will be listed.
30 In its second form, a new branch named <branchname> will be created.
31 It will start out with a head equal to the one given as <start-point>.
32 If no <start-point> is given, the branch will be created with a head
33 equal to that of the currently checked out branch.
35 Note that this will create the new branch, but it will not switch the
36 working tree to it; use "git checkout <newbranch>" to switch to the
37 new branch.
39 When a local branch is started off a remote branch, git sets up the
40 branch so that linkgit:git-pull[1] will appropriately merge from
41 the remote branch. This behavior may be changed via the global
42 `branch.autosetupmerge` configuration flag. That setting can be
43 overridden by using the `--track` and `--no-track` options.
45 With a '-m' or '-M' option, <oldbranch> will be renamed to <newbranch>.
46 If <oldbranch> had a corresponding reflog, it is renamed to match
47 <newbranch>, and a reflog entry is created to remember the branch
48 renaming. If <newbranch> exists, -M must be used to force the rename
49 to happen.
51 With a `-d` or `-D` option, `<branchname>` will be deleted. You may
52 specify more than one branch for deletion. If the branch currently
53 has a reflog then the reflog will also be deleted.
55 Use -r together with -d to delete remote-tracking branches. Note, that it
56 only makes sense to delete remote-tracking branches if they no longer exist
57 in remote repository or if linkgit:git-fetch[1] was configured not to fetch
58 them again. See also 'prune' subcommand of linkgit:git-remote[1] for way to
59 clean up all obsolete remote-tracking branches.
62 OPTIONS
63 -------
64 -d::
65 Delete a branch. The branch must be fully merged in HEAD.
67 -D::
68 Delete a branch irrespective of its merged status.
70 -l::
71 Create the branch's reflog. This activates recording of
72 all changes made to the branch ref, enabling use of date
73 based sha1 expressions such as "<branchname>@\{yesterday}".
75 -f::
76 Force the creation of a new branch even if it means deleting
77 a branch that already exists with the same name.
79 -m::
80 Move/rename a branch and the corresponding reflog.
82 -M::
83 Move/rename a branch even if the new branchname already exists.
85 --color::
86 Color branches to highlight current, local, and remote branches.
88 --no-color::
89 Turn off branch colors, even when the configuration file gives the
90 default to color output.
92 -r::
93 List or delete (if used with -d) the remote-tracking branches.
95 -a::
96 List both remote-tracking branches and local branches.
98 -v::
99 --verbose::
100 Show sha1 and commit subject line for each head.
102 --abbrev=<length>::
103 Alter minimum display length for sha1 in output listing,
104 default value is 7.
106 --no-abbrev::
107 Display the full sha1s in output listing rather than abbreviating them.
109 --track::
110 When creating a new branch, set up configuration so that git-pull
111 will automatically retrieve data from the start point, which must be
112 a branch. Use this if you always pull from the same upstream branch
113 into the new branch, and if you don't want to use "git pull
114 <repository> <refspec>" explicitly. This behavior is the default
115 when the start point is a remote branch. Set the
116 branch.autosetupmerge configuration variable to `false` if you want
117 git-checkout and git-branch to always behave as if '--no-track' were
118 given. Set it to `always` if you want this behavior when the
119 start-point is either a local or remote branch.
121 --no-track::
122 Ignore the branch.autosetupmerge configuration variable.
124 --contains <commit>::
125 Only list branches which contain the specified commit.
127 --merged::
128 Only list branches which are fully contained by HEAD.
130 --no-merged::
131 Do not list branches which are fully contained by HEAD.
133 <branchname>::
134 The name of the branch to create or delete.
135 The new branch name must pass all checks defined by
136 linkgit:git-check-ref-format[1]. Some of these checks
137 may restrict the characters allowed in a branch name.
139 <start-point>::
140 The new branch will be created with a HEAD equal to this. It may
141 be given as a branch name, a commit-id, or a tag. If this option
142 is omitted, the current branch is assumed.
144 <oldbranch>::
145 The name of an existing branch to rename.
147 <newbranch>::
148 The new name for an existing branch. The same restrictions as for
149 <branchname> applies.
152 Examples
153 --------
155 Start development off of a known tag::
156 +
157 ------------
158 $ git clone git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/.../linux-2.6 my2.6
159 $ cd my2.6
160 $ git branch my2.6.14 v2.6.14 <1>
161 $ git checkout my2.6.14
162 ------------
163 +
164 <1> This step and the next one could be combined into a single step with
165 "checkout -b my2.6.14 v2.6.14".
167 Delete unneeded branch::
168 +
169 ------------
170 $ git clone git://git.kernel.org/.../git.git my.git
171 $ cd my.git
172 $ git branch -d -r origin/todo origin/html origin/man <1>
173 $ git branch -D test <2>
174 ------------
175 +
176 <1> Delete remote-tracking branches "todo", "html", "man". Next 'fetch' or
177 'pull' will create them again unless you configure them not to. See
178 linkgit:git-fetch[1].
179 <2> Delete "test" branch even if the "master" branch (or whichever branch is
180 currently checked out) does not have all commits from test branch.
183 Notes
184 -----
186 If you are creating a branch that you want to immediately checkout, it's
187 easier to use the git checkout command with its `-b` option to create
188 a branch and check it out with a single command.
190 The options `--contains`, `--merged` and `--no-merged` serves three related
191 but different purposes:
193 - `--contains <commit>` is used to find all branches which will need
194 special attention if <commit> were to be rebased or amended, since those
195 branches contain the specified <commit>.
197 - `--merged` is used to find all branches which can be safely deleted,
198 since those branches are fully contained by HEAD.
200 - `--no-merged` is used to find branches which are candidates for merging
201 into HEAD, since those branches are not fully contained by HEAD.
203 Author
204 ------
205 Written by Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org> and Junio C Hamano <junkio@cox.net>
207 Documentation
208 --------------
209 Documentation by Junio C Hamano and the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.
211 GIT
212 ---
213 Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite