6 git-branch - List, create, or delete branches
11 'git branch' [--color[=<when>] | --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] <branchname> [<start-point>]
15 'git branch' (-m | -M) [<oldbranch>] <newbranch>
16 'git branch' (-d | -D) [-r] <branchname>...
21 With no arguments, existing branches are listed and the current branch will
22 be highlighted with an asterisk. Option `-r` causes the remote-tracking
23 branches to be listed, and option `-a` shows both.
25 With `--contains`, shows only the branches that contain the named commit
26 (in other words, the branches whose tip commits are descendants of the
27 named commit). With `--merged`, only branches merged into the named
28 commit (i.e. the branches whose tip commits are reachable from the named
29 commit) will be listed. With `--no-merged` only branches not merged into
30 the named commit will be listed. If the <commit> argument is missing it
31 defaults to 'HEAD' (i.e. the tip of the current branch).
33 The command's second form creates a new branch head named <branchname>
34 which points to the current 'HEAD', or <start-point> if given.
36 Note that this will create the new branch, but it will not switch the
37 working tree to it; use "git checkout <newbranch>" to switch to the
40 When a local branch is started off a remote-tracking branch, git sets up the
41 branch so that 'git pull' will appropriately merge from
42 the remote-tracking branch. This behavior may be changed via the global
43 `branch.autosetupmerge` configuration flag. That setting can be
44 overridden by using the `--track` and `--no-track` options, and
45 changed later using `git branch --set-upstream`.
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.
68 Delete a branch. The branch must be fully merged in its
69 upstream branch, or in `HEAD` if no upstream was set with
70 `--track` or `--set-upstream`.
73 Delete a branch irrespective of its merged status.
77 Create the branch's reflog. This activates recording of
78 all changes made to the branch ref, enabling use of date
79 based sha1 expressions such as "<branchname>@\{yesterday}".
80 Note that in non-bare repositories, reflogs are usually
81 enabled by default by the `core.logallrefupdates` config option.
85 Reset <branchname> to <startpoint> if <branchname> exists
86 already. Without `-f` 'git branch' refuses to change an existing branch.
90 Move/rename a branch and the corresponding reflog.
93 Move/rename a branch even if the new branch name already exists.
96 Color branches to highlight current, local, and
97 remote-tracking branches.
98 The value must be always (the default), never, or auto.
101 Turn off branch colors, even when the configuration file gives the
102 default to color output.
103 Same as `--color=never`.
107 List or delete (if used with -d) the remote-tracking branches.
111 List both remote-tracking branches and local branches.
115 Show sha1 and commit subject line for each head, along with
116 relationship to upstream branch (if any). If given twice, print
117 the name of the upstream branch, as well.
120 Alter the sha1's minimum display length in the output listing.
121 The default value is 7 and can be overridden by the `core.abbrev`
125 Display the full sha1s in the output listing rather than abbreviating them.
129 When creating a new branch, set up configuration to mark the
130 start-point branch as "upstream" from the new branch. This
131 configuration will tell git to show the relationship between the
132 two branches in `git status` and `git branch -v`. Furthermore,
133 it directs `git pull` without arguments to pull from the
134 upstream when the new branch is checked out.
136 This behavior is the default when the start point is a remote-tracking branch.
137 Set the branch.autosetupmerge configuration variable to `false` if you
138 want `git checkout` and `git branch` to always behave as if '--no-track'
139 were given. Set it to `always` if you want this behavior when the
140 start-point is either a local or remote-tracking branch.
143 Do not set up "upstream" configuration, even if the
144 branch.autosetupmerge configuration variable is true.
147 If specified branch does not exist yet or if '--force' has been
148 given, acts exactly like '--track'. Otherwise sets up configuration
149 like '--track' would when creating the branch, except that where
150 branch points to is not changed.
152 --contains <commit>::
153 Only list branches which contain the specified commit.
155 --merged [<commit>]::
156 Only list branches whose tips are reachable from the
157 specified commit (HEAD if not specified).
159 --no-merged [<commit>]::
160 Only list branches whose tips are not reachable from the
161 specified commit (HEAD if not specified).
164 The name of the branch to create or delete.
165 The new branch name must pass all checks defined by
166 linkgit:git-check-ref-format[1]. Some of these checks
167 may restrict the characters allowed in a branch name.
170 The new branch head will point to this commit. It may be
171 given as a branch name, a commit-id, or a tag. If this
172 option is omitted, the current HEAD will be used instead.
175 The name of an existing branch to rename.
178 The new name for an existing branch. The same restrictions as for
185 Start development from a known tag::
188 $ git clone git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/.../linux-2.6 my2.6
190 $ git branch my2.6.14 v2.6.14 <1>
191 $ git checkout my2.6.14
194 <1> This step and the next one could be combined into a single step with
195 "checkout -b my2.6.14 v2.6.14".
197 Delete an unneeded branch::
200 $ git clone git://git.kernel.org/.../git.git my.git
202 $ git branch -d -r origin/todo origin/html origin/man <1>
203 $ git branch -D test <2>
206 <1> Delete the remote-tracking branches "todo", "html" and "man". The next
207 'fetch' or 'pull' will create them again unless you configure them not to.
208 See linkgit:git-fetch[1].
209 <2> Delete the "test" branch even if the "master" branch (or whichever branch
210 is currently checked out) does not have all commits from the test branch.
216 If you are creating a branch that you want to checkout immediately, it is
217 easier to use the git checkout command with its `-b` option to create
218 a branch and check it out with a single command.
220 The options `--contains`, `--merged` and `--no-merged` serve three related
221 but different purposes:
223 - `--contains <commit>` is used to find all branches which will need
224 special attention if <commit> were to be rebased or amended, since those
225 branches contain the specified <commit>.
227 - `--merged` is used to find all branches which can be safely deleted,
228 since those branches are fully contained by HEAD.
230 - `--no-merged` is used to find branches which are candidates for merging
231 into HEAD, since those branches are not fully contained by HEAD.
235 linkgit:git-check-ref-format[1],
236 linkgit:git-fetch[1],
237 linkgit:git-remote[1],
238 link:user-manual.html#what-is-a-branch[``Understanding history: What is
239 a branch?''] in the Git User's Manual.
243 Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite