6 git-switch - Switch branches
11 'git switch' [<options>] [--no-guess] <branch>
12 'git switch' [<options>] --detach [<start-point>]
13 'git switch' [<options>] (-c|-C) <new-branch> [<start-point>]
14 'git switch' [<options>] --orphan <new-branch>
18 Switch to a specified branch. The working tree and the index are
19 updated to match the branch. All new commits will be added to the tip
22 Optionally a new branch could be created with either `-c`, `-C`,
23 automatically from a remote branch of same name (see `--guess`), or
24 detach the working tree from any branch with `--detach`, along with
27 Switching branches does not require a clean index and working tree
28 (i.e. no differences compared to `HEAD`). The operation is aborted
29 however if the operation leads to loss of local changes, unless told
30 otherwise with `--discard-changes` or `--merge`.
32 THIS COMMAND IS EXPERIMENTAL. THE BEHAVIOR MAY CHANGE.
40 Name for the new branch.
43 The starting point for the new branch. Specifying a
44 `<start-point>` allows you to create a branch based on some
45 other point in history than where HEAD currently points. (Or,
46 in the case of `--detach`, allows you to inspect and detach
47 from some other point.)
49 You can use the `@{-N}` syntax to refer to the N-th last
50 branch/commit switched to using "git switch" or "git checkout"
51 operation. You may also specify `-` which is synonymous to `@{-1}`.
52 This is often used to switch quickly between two branches, or to undo
53 a branch switch by mistake.
55 As a special case, you may use `A...B` as a shortcut for the merge
56 base of `A` and `B` if there is exactly one merge base. You can leave
57 out at most one of `A` and `B`, in which case it defaults to `HEAD`.
60 --create <new-branch>::
61 Create a new branch named `<new-branch>` starting at
62 `<start-point>` before switching to the branch. This is a
63 convenient shortcut for:
66 $ git branch <new-branch>
67 $ git switch <new-branch>
71 --force-create <new-branch>::
72 Similar to `--create` except that if `<new-branch>` already
73 exists, it will be reset to `<start-point>`. This is a
74 convenient shortcut for:
77 $ git branch -f <new-branch>
78 $ git switch <new-branch>
83 Switch to a commit for inspection and discardable
84 experiments. See the "DETACHED HEAD" section in
85 linkgit:git-checkout[1] for details.
89 If `<branch>` is not found but there does exist a tracking
90 branch in exactly one remote (call it `<remote>`) with a
91 matching name, treat as equivalent to
94 $ git switch -c <branch> --track <remote>/<branch>
97 If the branch exists in multiple remotes and one of them is named by
98 the `checkout.defaultRemote` configuration variable, we'll use that
99 one for the purposes of disambiguation, even if the `<branch>` isn't
100 unique across all remotes. Set it to e.g. `checkout.defaultRemote=origin`
101 to always checkout remote branches from there if `<branch>` is
102 ambiguous but exists on the 'origin' remote. See also
103 `checkout.defaultRemote` in linkgit:git-config[1].
105 `--guess` is the default behavior. Use `--no-guess` to disable it.
107 The default behavior can be set via the `checkout.guess` configuration
112 An alias for `--discard-changes`.
115 Proceed even if the index or the working tree differs from
116 `HEAD`. Both the index and working tree are restored to match
117 the switching target. If `--recurse-submodules` is specified,
118 submodule content is also restored to match the switching
119 target. This is used to throw away local changes.
123 If you have local modifications to one or more files that are
124 different between the current branch and the branch to which
125 you are switching, the command refuses to switch branches in
126 order to preserve your modifications in context. However,
127 with this option, a three-way merge between the current
128 branch, your working tree contents, and the new branch is
129 done, and you will be on the new branch.
131 When a merge conflict happens, the index entries for conflicting
132 paths are left unmerged, and you need to resolve the conflicts
133 and mark the resolved paths with `git add` (or `git rm` if the merge
134 should result in deletion of the path).
137 The same as `--merge` option above, but changes the way the
138 conflicting hunks are presented, overriding the
139 `merge.conflictStyle` configuration variable. Possible values are
140 "merge" (default), "diff3", and "zdiff3".
144 Quiet, suppress feedback messages.
148 Progress status is reported on the standard error stream
149 by default when it is attached to a terminal, unless `--quiet`
150 is specified. This flag enables progress reporting even if not
151 attached to a terminal, regardless of `--quiet`.
155 When creating a new branch, set up "upstream" configuration.
156 `-c` is implied. See `--track` in linkgit:git-branch[1] for
159 If no `-c` option is given, the name of the new branch will be derived
160 from the remote-tracking branch, by looking at the local part of the
161 refspec configured for the corresponding remote, and then stripping
162 the initial part up to the "*". This would tell us to use `hack` as
163 the local branch when branching off of `origin/hack` (or
164 `remotes/origin/hack`, or even `refs/remotes/origin/hack`). If the
165 given name has no slash, or the above guessing results in an empty
166 name, the guessing is aborted. You can explicitly give a name with
170 Do not set up "upstream" configuration, even if the
171 `branch.autoSetupMerge` configuration variable is true.
173 --orphan <new-branch>::
174 Create a new 'orphan' branch, named `<new-branch>`. All
175 tracked files are removed.
177 --ignore-other-worktrees::
178 `git switch` refuses when the wanted ref is already
179 checked out by another worktree. This option makes it check
180 the ref out anyway. In other words, the ref can be held by
181 more than one worktree.
183 --recurse-submodules::
184 --no-recurse-submodules::
185 Using `--recurse-submodules` will update the content of all
186 active submodules according to the commit recorded in the
187 superproject. If nothing (or `--no-recurse-submodules`) is
188 used, submodules working trees will not be updated. Just
189 like linkgit:git-submodule[1], this will detach `HEAD` of the
195 The following command switches to the "master" branch:
201 After working in the wrong branch, switching to the correct branch
208 However, your "wrong" branch and correct "mytopic" branch may differ
209 in files that you have modified locally, in which case the above
210 switch would fail like this:
214 error: You have local changes to 'frotz'; not switching branches.
217 You can give the `-m` flag to the command, which would try a three-way
221 $ git switch -m mytopic
225 After this three-way merge, the local modifications are _not_
226 registered in your index file, so `git diff` would show you what
227 changes you made since the tip of the new branch.
229 To switch back to the previous branch before we switched to mytopic
230 (i.e. "master" branch):
236 You can grow a new branch from any commit. For example, switch to
237 "HEAD~3" and create branch "fixup":
240 $ git switch -c fixup HEAD~3
241 Switched to a new branch 'fixup'
244 If you want to start a new branch from a remote branch of the same
248 $ git switch new-topic
249 Branch 'new-topic' set up to track remote branch 'new-topic' from 'origin'
250 Switched to a new branch 'new-topic'
253 To check out commit `HEAD~3` for temporary inspection or experiment
254 without creating a new branch:
257 $ git switch --detach HEAD~3
258 HEAD is now at 9fc9555312 Merge branch 'cc/shared-index-permbits'
261 If it turns out whatever you have done is worth keeping, you can
262 always create a new name for it (without switching away):
265 $ git switch -c good-surprises
270 linkgit:git-checkout[1],
271 linkgit:git-branch[1]
275 Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite