Hopefully final update to the draft Release Notes, preparing for 1.5.1

[git.git] / Documentation / git-branch.txt

diff --git a/Documentation/git-branch.txt b/Documentation/git-branch.txt
index 5376760813954b3aed9300a03cc2f5f21c4724f2..603f87f3b59358697da821ffe240be9caff43fa7 100644 (file)
--- a/Documentation/git-branch.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-branch.txt
@@ -3,14 +3,16 @@ git-branch(1)
 
 NAME
 ----
-git-branch - List, create, or delete branches.
+git-branch - List, create, or delete branches
 
 SYNOPSIS
 --------
 [verse]
-'git-branch' [-r] [-a]
-'git-branch' [-l] [-f] <branchname> [<start-point>]
-'git-branch' (-d | -D) <branchname>...
+'git-branch' [--color | --no-color] [-r | -a]
+          [-v [--abbrev=<length> | --no-abbrev]]
+'git-branch' [--track | --no-track] [-l] [-f] <branchname> [<start-point>]
+'git-branch' (-m | -M) [<oldbranch>] <newbranch>
+'git-branch' (-d | -D) [-r] <branchname>...
 
 DESCRIPTION
 -----------
@@ -24,9 +26,23 @@ 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.
 
+When a local branch is started off a remote branch, git can setup the
+branch so that gitlink:git-pull[1] will appropriately merge from that
+remote branch.  If this behavior is desired, it is possible to make it
+the default using the global `branch.autosetupmerge` configuration
+flag.  Otherwise, it can be chosen per-branch using the `--track`
+and `--no-track` options.
+
+With a '-m' or '-M' option, <oldbranch> will be renamed to <newbranch>.
+If <oldbranch> had a corresponding reflog, it is renamed to match
+<newbranch>, and a reflog entry is created to remember the branch
+renaming. If <newbranch> exists, -M must be used to force the rename
+to happen.
+
 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.
+has a ref log then the ref log will also be deleted. Use -r together with -d
+to delete remote-tracking branches.
 
 
 OPTIONS
@@ -46,12 +62,35 @@ OPTIONS
        Force the creation of a new branch even if it means deleting
        a branch that already exists with the same name.
 
+-m::
+       Move/rename a branch and the corresponding reflog.
+
+-M::
+       Move/rename a branch even if the new branchname already exists.
+
+--color::
+       Color branches to highlight current, local, and remote branches.
+
+--no-color::
+       Turn off branch colors, even when the configuration file gives the
+       default to color output.
+
 -r::
-       List the remote-tracking branches.
+       List or delete (if used with -d) the remote-tracking branches.
 
 -a::
        List both remote-tracking branches and local branches.
 
+-v::
+       Show sha1 and commit subject line for each head.
+
+--abbrev=<length>::
+       Alter minimum display length for sha1 in output listing,
+       default value is 7.
+
+--no-abbrev::
+       Display the full sha1s in output listing rather than abbreviating them.
+
 <branchname>::
        The name of the branch to create or delete.
        The new branch name must pass all checks defined by
@@ -63,6 +102,12 @@ OPTIONS
        be given as a branch name, a commit-id, or a tag.  If this option
        is omitted, the current branch is assumed.
 
+<oldbranch>::
+       The name of an existing branch to rename.
+
+<newbranch>::
+       The new name for an existing branch. The same restrictions as for
+       <branchname> applies.
 
 
 Examples
@@ -85,10 +130,12 @@ Delete unneeded branch::
 ------------
 $ git clone git://git.kernel.org/.../git.git my.git
 $ cd my.git
-$ git branch -D todo    <1>
+$ git branch -d -r todo html man   <1>
+$ git branch -D test               <2>
 ------------
 +
-<1> delete todo branch even if the "master" branch does not have all
+<1> delete remote-tracking branches "todo", "html", "man"
+<2> delete "test" branch even if the "master" branch does not have all
 commits from todo branch.