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' --unset-upstream [<branchname>]
18 'git branch' (-m | -M) [<oldbranch>] <newbranch>
19 'git branch' (-d | -D) [-r] <branchname>...
20 'git branch' --edit-description [<branchname>]
25 With no arguments, existing branches are listed and the current branch will
26 be highlighted with an asterisk. Option `-r` causes the remote-tracking
27 branches to be listed, and option `-a` shows both. This list mode is also
28 activated by the `--list` option (see below).
29 <pattern> restricts the output to matching branches, the pattern is a shell
30 wildcard (i.e., matched using fnmatch(3)).
31 Multiple patterns may be given; if any of them matches, the branch is shown.
33 With `--contains`, shows only the branches that contain the named commit
34 (in other words, the branches whose tip commits are descendants of the
35 named commit). With `--merged`, only branches merged into the named
36 commit (i.e. the branches whose tip commits are reachable from the named
37 commit) will be listed. With `--no-merged` only branches not merged into
38 the named commit will be listed. If the <commit> argument is missing it
39 defaults to 'HEAD' (i.e. the tip of the current branch).
41 The command's second form creates a new branch head named <branchname>
42 which points to the current 'HEAD', or <start-point> if given.
44 Note that this will create the new branch, but it will not switch the
45 working tree to it; use "git checkout <newbranch>" to switch to the
48 When a local branch is started off a remote-tracking branch, git sets up the
49 branch so that 'git pull' will appropriately merge from
50 the remote-tracking branch. This behavior may be changed via the global
51 `branch.autosetupmerge` configuration flag. That setting can be
52 overridden by using the `--track` and `--no-track` options, and
53 changed later using `git branch --set-upstream-to`.
55 With a `-m` or `-M` option, <oldbranch> will be renamed to <newbranch>.
56 If <oldbranch> had a corresponding reflog, it is renamed to match
57 <newbranch>, and a reflog entry is created to remember the branch
58 renaming. If <newbranch> exists, -M must be used to force the rename
61 With a `-d` or `-D` option, `<branchname>` will be deleted. You may
62 specify more than one branch for deletion. If the branch currently
63 has a reflog then the reflog will also be deleted.
65 Use `-r` together with `-d` to delete remote-tracking branches. Note, that it
66 only makes sense to delete remote-tracking branches if they no longer exist
67 in the remote repository or if 'git fetch' was configured not to fetch
68 them again. See also the 'prune' subcommand of linkgit:git-remote[1] for a
69 way to clean up all obsolete remote-tracking branches.
76 Delete a branch. The branch must be fully merged in its
77 upstream branch, or in `HEAD` if no upstream was set with
78 `--track` or `--set-upstream`.
81 Delete a branch irrespective of its merged status.
85 Create the branch's reflog. This activates recording of
86 all changes made to the branch ref, enabling use of date
87 based sha1 expressions such as "<branchname>@\{yesterday}".
88 Note that in non-bare repositories, reflogs are usually
89 enabled by default by the `core.logallrefupdates` config option.
93 Reset <branchname> to <startpoint> if <branchname> exists
94 already. Without `-f` 'git branch' refuses to change an existing branch.
98 Move/rename a branch and the corresponding reflog.
101 Move/rename a branch even if the new branch name already exists.
104 Color branches to highlight current, local, and
105 remote-tracking branches.
106 The value must be always (the default), never, or auto.
109 Turn off branch colors, even when the configuration file gives the
110 default to color output.
111 Same as `--color=never`.
113 --column[=<options>]::
115 Display branch listing in columns. See configuration variable
116 column.branch for option syntax.`--column` and `--no-column`
117 without options are equivalent to 'always' and 'never' respectively.
119 This option is only applicable in non-verbose mode.
123 List or delete (if used with -d) the remote-tracking branches.
127 List both remote-tracking branches and local branches.
130 Activate the list mode. `git branch <pattern>` would try to create a branch,
131 use `git branch --list <pattern>` to list matching branches.
136 show sha1 and commit subject line for each head, along with
137 relationship to upstream branch (if any). If given twice, print
138 the name of the upstream branch, as well.
142 Be more quiet when creating or deleting a branch, suppressing
146 Alter the sha1's minimum display length in the output listing.
147 The default value is 7 and can be overridden by the `core.abbrev`
151 Display the full sha1s in the output listing rather than abbreviating them.
155 When creating a new branch, set up configuration to mark the
156 start-point branch as "upstream" from the new branch. This
157 configuration will tell git to show the relationship between the
158 two branches in `git status` and `git branch -v`. Furthermore,
159 it directs `git pull` without arguments to pull from the
160 upstream when the new branch is checked out.
162 This behavior is the default when the start point is a remote-tracking branch.
163 Set the branch.autosetupmerge configuration variable to `false` if you
164 want `git checkout` and `git branch` to always behave as if '--no-track'
165 were given. Set it to `always` if you want this behavior when the
166 start-point is either a local or remote-tracking branch.
169 Do not set up "upstream" configuration, even if the
170 branch.autosetupmerge configuration variable is true.
173 If specified branch does not exist yet or if `--force` has been
174 given, acts exactly like `--track`. Otherwise sets up configuration
175 like `--track` would when creating the branch, except that where
176 branch points to is not changed.
179 --set-upstream-to=<upstream>::
180 Set up <branchname>'s tracking information so <upstream> is
181 considered <branchname>'s upstream branch. If no <branchname>
182 is specified, then it defaults to the current branch.
185 Remove the upstream information for <branchname>. If no branch
186 is specified it defaults to the current branch.
189 Open an editor and edit the text to explain what the branch is
190 for, to be used by various other commands (e.g. `request-pull`).
192 --contains [<commit>]::
193 Only list branches which contain the specified commit (HEAD
196 --merged [<commit>]::
197 Only list branches whose tips are reachable from the
198 specified commit (HEAD if not specified).
200 --no-merged [<commit>]::
201 Only list branches whose tips are not reachable from the
202 specified commit (HEAD if not specified).
205 The name of the branch to create or delete.
206 The new branch name must pass all checks defined by
207 linkgit:git-check-ref-format[1]. Some of these checks
208 may restrict the characters allowed in a branch name.
211 The new branch head will point to this commit. It may be
212 given as a branch name, a commit-id, or a tag. If this
213 option is omitted, the current HEAD will be used instead.
216 The name of an existing branch to rename.
219 The new name for an existing branch. The same restrictions as for
226 Start development from a known tag::
229 $ git clone git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/.../linux-2.6 my2.6
231 $ git branch my2.6.14 v2.6.14 <1>
232 $ git checkout my2.6.14
235 <1> This step and the next one could be combined into a single step with
236 "checkout -b my2.6.14 v2.6.14".
238 Delete an unneeded branch::
241 $ git clone git://git.kernel.org/.../git.git my.git
243 $ git branch -d -r origin/todo origin/html origin/man <1>
244 $ git branch -D test <2>
247 <1> Delete the remote-tracking branches "todo", "html" and "man". The next
248 'fetch' or 'pull' will create them again unless you configure them not to.
249 See linkgit:git-fetch[1].
250 <2> Delete the "test" branch even if the "master" branch (or whichever branch
251 is currently checked out) does not have all commits from the test branch.
257 If you are creating a branch that you want to checkout immediately, it is
258 easier to use the git checkout command with its `-b` option to create
259 a branch and check it out with a single command.
261 The options `--contains`, `--merged` and `--no-merged` serve three related
262 but different purposes:
264 - `--contains <commit>` is used to find all branches which will need
265 special attention if <commit> were to be rebased or amended, since those
266 branches contain the specified <commit>.
268 - `--merged` is used to find all branches which can be safely deleted,
269 since those branches are fully contained by HEAD.
271 - `--no-merged` is used to find branches which are candidates for merging
272 into HEAD, since those branches are not fully contained by HEAD.
276 linkgit:git-check-ref-format[1],
277 linkgit:git-fetch[1],
278 linkgit:git-remote[1],
279 link:user-manual.html#what-is-a-branch[``Understanding history: What is
280 a branch?''] in the Git User's Manual.
284 Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite