6 git-branch - List, create, or delete branches
11 'git branch' [--color | --no-color] [-r | -a]
12 [-v [--abbrev=<length> | --no-abbrev]]
13 [(--merged | --no-merged | --contains) [<commit>]]
14 'git branch' [--set-upstream | --track | --no-track] [-l] [-f]
15 [-n <dir | --new-workdir <dir>] <branchname> [<start-point>]
16 'git branch' (-m | -M) [<oldbranch>] <newbranch>
17 'git branch' (-d | -D) [-r] <branchname>...
22 With no arguments, existing branches are listed and the current branch will
23 be highlighted with an asterisk. Option `-r` causes the remote-tracking
24 branches to be listed, and option `-a` shows both.
26 With `--contains`, shows only the branches that contain the named commit
27 (in other words, the branches whose tip commits are descendants of the
28 named commit). With `--merged`, only branches merged into the named
29 commit (i.e. the branches whose tip commits are reachable from the named
30 commit) will be listed. With `--no-merged` only branches not merged into
31 the named commit will be listed. If the <commit> argument is missing it
32 defaults to 'HEAD' (i.e. the tip of the current branch).
34 The command's second form creates a new branch head named <branchname>
35 which points to the current 'HEAD', or <start-point> if given.
37 Note that this will create the new branch, but it will not switch the
38 working tree to it; use "git checkout <newbranch>" to switch to the
41 When a local branch is started off a remote branch, git sets up the
42 branch so that 'git pull' will appropriately merge from
43 the remote branch. This behavior may be changed via the global
44 `branch.autosetupmerge` configuration flag. That setting can be
45 overridden by using the `--track` and `--no-track` options.
47 With a '-m' or '-M' option, <oldbranch> will be renamed to <newbranch>.
48 If <oldbranch> had a corresponding reflog, it is renamed to match
49 <newbranch>, and a reflog entry is created to remember the branch
50 renaming. If <newbranch> exists, -M must be used to force the rename
53 With a `-d` or `-D` option, `<branchname>` will be deleted. You may
54 specify more than one branch for deletion. If the branch currently
55 has a reflog then the reflog will also be deleted.
57 Use -r together with -d to delete remote-tracking branches. Note, that it
58 only makes sense to delete remote-tracking branches if they no longer exist
59 in the remote repository or if 'git fetch' was configured not to fetch
60 them again. See also the 'prune' subcommand of linkgit:git-remote[1] for a
61 way to clean up all obsolete remote-tracking branches.
67 Delete a branch. The branch must be fully merged in HEAD.
70 Delete a branch irrespective of its merged status.
73 Create the branch's reflog. This activates recording of
74 all changes made to the branch ref, enabling use of date
75 based sha1 expressions such as "<branchname>@\{yesterday}".
79 Reset <branchname> to <startpoint> if <branchname> exists
80 already. Without `-f` 'git branch' refuses to change an existing branch.
83 Move/rename a branch and the corresponding reflog.
86 Move/rename a branch even if the new branch name already exists.
89 Color branches to highlight current, local, and remote branches.
92 Turn off branch colors, even when the configuration file gives the
93 default to color output.
96 List or delete (if used with -d) the remote-tracking branches.
99 List both remote-tracking branches and local branches.
103 Show sha1 and commit subject line for each head, along with
104 relationship to upstream branch (if any). If given twice, print
105 the name of the upstream branch, as well.
108 Alter the sha1's minimum display length in the output listing.
109 The default value is 7.
112 Display the full sha1s in the output listing rather than abbreviating them.
116 When creating a new branch, set up configuration to mark the
117 start-point branch as "upstream" from the new branch. This
118 configuration will tell git to show the relationship between the
119 two branches in `git status` and `git branch -v`. Furthermore,
120 it directs `git pull` without arguments to pull from the
121 upstream when the new branch is checked out.
123 This behavior is the default when the start point is a remote branch.
124 Set the branch.autosetupmerge configuration variable to `false` if you
125 want `git checkout` and `git branch` to always behave as if '--no-track'
126 were given. Set it to `always` if you want this behavior when the
127 start-point is either a local or remote branch.
130 Do not set up "upstream" configuration, even if the
131 branch.autosetupmerge configuration variable is true.
134 If specified branch does not exist yet or if '--force' has been
135 given, acts exactly like '--track'. Otherwise sets up configuration
136 like '--track' would when creating the branch, except that where
137 branch points to is not changed.
139 --contains <commit>::
140 Only list branches which contain the specified commit.
142 --merged [<commit>]::
143 Only list branches whose tips are reachable from the
144 specified commit (HEAD if not specified).
146 --no-merged [<commit>]::
147 Only list branches whose tips are not reachable from the
148 specified commit (HEAD if not specified).
150 -n\|--new-workdir <dir>::
151 Set up a new working directory which shares all information with the
152 current repository, except which branch is checked out.
155 The name of the branch to create or delete.
156 The new branch name must pass all checks defined by
157 linkgit:git-check-ref-format[1]. Some of these checks
158 may restrict the characters allowed in a branch name.
161 The new branch head will point to this commit. It may be
162 given as a branch name, a commit-id, or a tag. If this
163 option is omitted, the current HEAD will be used instead.
166 The name of an existing branch to rename.
169 The new name for an existing branch. The same restrictions as for
176 Start development from a known tag::
179 $ git clone git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/.../linux-2.6 my2.6
181 $ git branch my2.6.14 v2.6.14 <1>
182 $ git checkout my2.6.14
185 <1> This step and the next one could be combined into a single step with
186 "checkout -b my2.6.14 v2.6.14".
188 Delete an unneeded branch::
191 $ git clone git://git.kernel.org/.../git.git my.git
193 $ git branch -d -r origin/todo origin/html origin/man <1>
194 $ git branch -D test <2>
197 <1> Delete the remote-tracking branches "todo", "html" and "man". The next
198 'fetch' or 'pull' will create them again unless you configure them not to.
199 See linkgit:git-fetch[1].
200 <2> Delete the "test" branch even if the "master" branch (or whichever branch
201 is currently checked out) does not have all commits from the test branch.
207 If you are creating a branch that you want to checkout immediately, it is
208 easier to use the git checkout command with its `-b` option to create
209 a branch and check it out with a single command.
211 The options `--contains`, `--merged` and `--no-merged` serve three related
212 but different purposes:
214 - `--contains <commit>` is used to find all branches which will need
215 special attention if <commit> were to be rebased or amended, since those
216 branches contain the specified <commit>.
218 - `--merged` is used to find all branches which can be safely deleted,
219 since those branches are fully contained by HEAD.
221 - `--no-merged` is used to find branches which are candidates for merging
222 into HEAD, since those branches are not fully contained by HEAD.
226 linkgit:git-check-ref-format[1],
227 linkgit:git-fetch[1],
228 linkgit:git-remote[1],
229 link:user-manual.html#what-is-a-branch[``Understanding history: What is
230 a branch?''] in the Git User's Manual.
234 Written by Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org> and Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
238 Documentation by Junio C Hamano and the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.
242 Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite