6 git-branch - List, create, or delete branches
11 'git branch' [--color[=<when>] | --no-color] [-r | -a]
12 [--list] [-v [--abbrev=<length> | --no-abbrev]]
13 [--column[=<options>] | --no-column]
14 [(--merged | --no-merged | --contains) [<commit>]] [<pattern>...]
15 'git branch' [--set-upstream | --track | --no-track] [-l] [-f] <branchname> [<start-point>]
16 'git branch' (--set-upstream-to=<upstream> | -u <upstream>) [<branchname>]
17 'git branch' (-m | -M) [<oldbranch>] <newbranch>
18 'git branch' (-d | -D) [-r] <branchname>...
19 'git branch' --edit-description [<branchname>]
24 With no arguments, existing branches are listed and the current branch will
25 be highlighted with an asterisk. Option `-r` causes the remote-tracking
26 branches to be listed, and option `-a` shows both. This list mode is also
27 activated by the `--list` option (see below).
28 <pattern> restricts the output to matching branches, the pattern is a shell
29 wildcard (i.e., matched using fnmatch(3)).
30 Multiple patterns may be given; if any of them matches, the branch is shown.
32 With `--contains`, shows only the branches that contain the named commit
33 (in other words, the branches whose tip commits are descendants of the
34 named commit). With `--merged`, only branches merged into the named
35 commit (i.e. the branches whose tip commits are reachable from the named
36 commit) will be listed. With `--no-merged` only branches not merged into
37 the named commit will be listed. If the <commit> argument is missing it
38 defaults to 'HEAD' (i.e. the tip of the current branch).
40 The command's second form creates a new branch head named <branchname>
41 which points to the current 'HEAD', or <start-point> if given.
43 Note that this will create the new branch, but it will not switch the
44 working tree to it; use "git checkout <newbranch>" to switch to the
47 When a local branch is started off a remote-tracking branch, git sets up the
48 branch so that 'git pull' will appropriately merge from
49 the remote-tracking branch. This behavior may be changed via the global
50 `branch.autosetupmerge` configuration flag. That setting can be
51 overridden by using the `--track` and `--no-track` options, and
52 changed later using `git branch --set-upstream-to`.
54 With a `-m` or `-M` option, <oldbranch> will be renamed to <newbranch>.
55 If <oldbranch> had a corresponding reflog, it is renamed to match
56 <newbranch>, and a reflog entry is created to remember the branch
57 renaming. If <newbranch> exists, -M must be used to force the rename
60 With a `-d` or `-D` option, `<branchname>` will be deleted. You may
61 specify more than one branch for deletion. If the branch currently
62 has a reflog then the reflog will also be deleted.
64 Use `-r` together with `-d` to delete remote-tracking branches. Note, that it
65 only makes sense to delete remote-tracking branches if they no longer exist
66 in the remote repository or if 'git fetch' was configured not to fetch
67 them again. See also the 'prune' subcommand of linkgit:git-remote[1] for a
68 way to clean up all obsolete remote-tracking branches.
75 Delete a branch. The branch must be fully merged in its
76 upstream branch, or in `HEAD` if no upstream was set with
77 `--track` or `--set-upstream`.
80 Delete a branch irrespective of its merged status.
84 Create the branch's reflog. This activates recording of
85 all changes made to the branch ref, enabling use of date
86 based sha1 expressions such as "<branchname>@\{yesterday}".
87 Note that in non-bare repositories, reflogs are usually
88 enabled by default by the `core.logallrefupdates` config option.
92 Reset <branchname> to <startpoint> if <branchname> exists
93 already. Without `-f` 'git branch' refuses to change an existing branch.
97 Move/rename a branch and the corresponding reflog.
100 Move/rename a branch even if the new branch name already exists.
103 Color branches to highlight current, local, and
104 remote-tracking branches.
105 The value must be always (the default), never, or auto.
108 Turn off branch colors, even when the configuration file gives the
109 default to color output.
110 Same as `--color=never`.
112 --column[=<options>]::
114 Display branch listing in columns. See configuration variable
115 column.branch for option syntax.`--column` and `--no-column`
116 without options are equivalent to 'always' and 'never' respectively.
118 This option is only applicable in non-verbose mode.
122 List or delete (if used with -d) the remote-tracking branches.
126 List both remote-tracking branches and local branches.
129 Activate the list mode. `git branch <pattern>` would try to create a branch,
130 use `git branch --list <pattern>` to list matching branches.
135 show sha1 and commit subject line for each head, along with
136 relationship to upstream branch (if any). If given twice, print
137 the name of the upstream branch, as well.
141 Be more quiet when creating or deleting a branch, suppressing
145 Alter the sha1's minimum display length in the output listing.
146 The default value is 7 and can be overridden by the `core.abbrev`
150 Display the full sha1s in the output listing rather than abbreviating them.
154 When creating a new branch, set up configuration to mark the
155 start-point branch as "upstream" from the new branch. This
156 configuration will tell git to show the relationship between the
157 two branches in `git status` and `git branch -v`. Furthermore,
158 it directs `git pull` without arguments to pull from the
159 upstream when the new branch is checked out.
161 This behavior is the default when the start point is a remote-tracking branch.
162 Set the branch.autosetupmerge configuration variable to `false` if you
163 want `git checkout` and `git branch` to always behave as if '--no-track'
164 were given. Set it to `always` if you want this behavior when the
165 start-point is either a local or remote-tracking branch.
168 Do not set up "upstream" configuration, even if the
169 branch.autosetupmerge configuration variable is true.
172 If specified branch does not exist yet or if `--force` has been
173 given, acts exactly like `--track`. Otherwise sets up configuration
174 like `--track` would when creating the branch, except that where
175 branch points to is not changed.
178 --set-upstream-to=<upstream>::
179 Set up <branchname>'s tracking information so <upstream> is
180 considered <branchname>'s upstream branch. If no <branchname>
181 is specified, then it defaults to the current branch.
184 Open an editor and edit the text to explain what the branch is
185 for, to be used by various other commands (e.g. `request-pull`).
187 --contains [<commit>]::
188 Only list branches which contain the specified commit (HEAD
191 --merged [<commit>]::
192 Only list branches whose tips are reachable from the
193 specified commit (HEAD if not specified).
195 --no-merged [<commit>]::
196 Only list branches whose tips are not reachable from the
197 specified commit (HEAD if not specified).
200 The name of the branch to create or delete.
201 The new branch name must pass all checks defined by
202 linkgit:git-check-ref-format[1]. Some of these checks
203 may restrict the characters allowed in a branch name.
206 The new branch head will point to this commit. It may be
207 given as a branch name, a commit-id, or a tag. If this
208 option is omitted, the current HEAD will be used instead.
211 The name of an existing branch to rename.
214 The new name for an existing branch. The same restrictions as for
221 Start development from a known tag::
224 $ git clone git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/.../linux-2.6 my2.6
226 $ git branch my2.6.14 v2.6.14 <1>
227 $ git checkout my2.6.14
230 <1> This step and the next one could be combined into a single step with
231 "checkout -b my2.6.14 v2.6.14".
233 Delete an unneeded branch::
236 $ git clone git://git.kernel.org/.../git.git my.git
238 $ git branch -d -r origin/todo origin/html origin/man <1>
239 $ git branch -D test <2>
242 <1> Delete the remote-tracking branches "todo", "html" and "man". The next
243 'fetch' or 'pull' will create them again unless you configure them not to.
244 See linkgit:git-fetch[1].
245 <2> Delete the "test" branch even if the "master" branch (or whichever branch
246 is currently checked out) does not have all commits from the test branch.
252 If you are creating a branch that you want to checkout immediately, it is
253 easier to use the git checkout command with its `-b` option to create
254 a branch and check it out with a single command.
256 The options `--contains`, `--merged` and `--no-merged` serve three related
257 but different purposes:
259 - `--contains <commit>` is used to find all branches which will need
260 special attention if <commit> were to be rebased or amended, since those
261 branches contain the specified <commit>.
263 - `--merged` is used to find all branches which can be safely deleted,
264 since those branches are fully contained by HEAD.
266 - `--no-merged` is used to find branches which are candidates for merging
267 into HEAD, since those branches are not fully contained by HEAD.
271 linkgit:git-check-ref-format[1],
272 linkgit:git-fetch[1],
273 linkgit:git-remote[1],
274 link:user-manual.html#what-is-a-branch[``Understanding history: What is
275 a branch?''] in the Git User's Manual.
279 Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite