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`.
38 Name for the new branch.
41 The starting point for the new branch. Specifying a
42 `<start-point>` allows you to create a branch based on some
43 other point in history than where HEAD currently points. (Or,
44 in the case of `--detach`, allows you to inspect and detach
45 from some other point.)
47 You can use the `@{-N}` syntax to refer to the N-th last
48 branch/commit switched to using "git switch" or "git checkout"
49 operation. You may also specify `-` which is synonymous to `@{-1}`.
50 This is often used to switch quickly between two branches, or to undo
51 a branch switch by mistake.
53 As a special case, you may use `A...B` as a shortcut for the merge
54 base of `A` and `B` if there is exactly one merge base. You can leave
55 out at most one of `A` and `B`, in which case it defaults to `HEAD`.
58 --create <new-branch>::
59 Create a new branch named `<new-branch>` starting at
60 `<start-point>` before switching to the branch. This is a
61 convenient shortcut for:
64 $ git branch <new-branch>
65 $ git switch <new-branch>
69 --force-create <new-branch>::
70 Similar to `--create` except that if `<new-branch>` already
71 exists, it will be reset to `<start-point>`. This is a
72 convenient shortcut for:
75 $ git branch -f <new-branch>
76 $ git switch <new-branch>
81 Switch to a commit for inspection and discardable
82 experiments. See the "DETACHED HEAD" section in
83 linkgit:git-checkout[1] for details.
87 If `<branch>` is not found but there does exist a tracking
88 branch in exactly one remote (call it `<remote>`) with a
89 matching name, treat as equivalent to
92 $ git switch -c <branch> --track <remote>/<branch>
95 If the branch exists in multiple remotes and one of them is named by
96 the `checkout.defaultRemote` configuration variable, we'll use that
97 one for the purposes of disambiguation, even if the `<branch>` isn't
98 unique across all remotes. Set it to e.g. `checkout.defaultRemote=origin`
99 to always checkout remote branches from there if `<branch>` is
100 ambiguous but exists on the 'origin' remote. See also
101 `checkout.defaultRemote` in linkgit:git-config[1].
103 `--guess` is the default behavior. Use `--no-guess` to disable it.
107 An alias for `--discard-changes`.
110 Proceed even if the index or the working tree differs from
111 `HEAD`. Both the index and working tree are restored to match
112 the switching target. If `--recurse-submodules` is specified,
113 submodule content is also restored to match the switching
114 target. This is used to throw away local changes.
118 If you have local modifications to one or more files that are
119 different between the current branch and the branch to which
120 you are switching, the command refuses to switch branches in
121 order to preserve your modifications in context. However,
122 with this option, a three-way merge between the current
123 branch, your working tree contents, and the new branch is
124 done, and you will be on the new branch.
126 When a merge conflict happens, the index entries for conflicting
127 paths are left unmerged, and you need to resolve the conflicts
128 and mark the resolved paths with `git add` (or `git rm` if the merge
129 should result in deletion of the path).
132 The same as `--merge` option above, but changes the way the
133 conflicting hunks are presented, overriding the
134 `merge.conflictStyle` configuration variable. Possible values are
135 "merge" (default) and "diff3" (in addition to what is shown by
136 "merge" style, shows the original contents).
140 Quiet, suppress feedback messages.
144 Progress status is reported on the standard error stream
145 by default when it is attached to a terminal, unless `--quiet`
146 is specified. This flag enables progress reporting even if not
147 attached to a terminal, regardless of `--quiet`.
151 When creating a new branch, set up "upstream" configuration.
152 `-c` is implied. See `--track` in linkgit:git-branch[1] for
155 If no `-c` option is given, the name of the new branch will be derived
156 from the remote-tracking branch, by looking at the local part of the
157 refspec configured for the corresponding remote, and then stripping
158 the initial part up to the "*". This would tell us to use `hack` as
159 the local branch when branching off of `origin/hack` (or
160 `remotes/origin/hack`, or even `refs/remotes/origin/hack`). If the
161 given name has no slash, or the above guessing results in an empty
162 name, the guessing is aborted. You can explicitly give a name with
166 Do not set up "upstream" configuration, even if the
167 `branch.autoSetupMerge` configuration variable is true.
169 --orphan <new-branch>::
170 Create a new 'orphan' branch, named `<new-branch>`. All
171 tracked files are removed.
173 --ignore-other-worktrees::
174 `git switch` refuses when the wanted ref is already
175 checked out by another worktree. This option makes it check
176 the ref out anyway. In other words, the ref can be held by
177 more than one worktree.
179 --recurse-submodules::
180 --no-recurse-submodules::
181 Using `--recurse-submodules` will update the content of all
182 initialized submodules according to the commit recorded in the
183 superproject. If nothing (or `--no-recurse-submodules`) is
184 used, the work trees of submodules will not be updated. Just
185 like linkgit:git-submodule[1], this will detach `HEAD` of the
191 The following command switches to the "master" branch:
197 After working in the wrong branch, switching to the correct branch
204 However, your "wrong" branch and correct "mytopic" branch may differ
205 in files that you have modified locally, in which case the above
206 switch would fail like this:
210 error: You have local changes to 'frotz'; not switching branches.
213 You can give the `-m` flag to the command, which would try a three-way
217 $ git switch -m mytopic
221 After this three-way merge, the local modifications are _not_
222 registered in your index file, so `git diff` would show you what
223 changes you made since the tip of the new branch.
225 To switch back to the previous branch before we switched to mytopic
226 (i.e. "master" branch):
232 You can grow a new branch from any commit. For example, switch to
233 "HEAD~3" and create branch "fixup":
236 $ git switch -c fixup HEAD~3
237 Switched to a new branch 'fixup'
240 If you want to start a new branch from a remote branch of the same
244 $ git switch new-topic
245 Branch 'new-topic' set up to track remote branch 'new-topic' from 'origin'
246 Switched to a new branch 'new-topic'
249 To check out commit `HEAD~3` for temporary inspection or experiment
250 without creating a new branch:
253 $ git switch --detach HEAD~3
254 HEAD is now at 9fc9555312 Merge branch 'cc/shared-index-permbits'
257 If it turns out whatever you have done is worth keeping, you can
258 always create a new name for it (without switching away):
261 $ git switch -c good-surprises
266 linkgit:git-checkout[1],
267 linkgit:git-branch[1]
271 Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite