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GIT-BRANCH(1) | Git Manual | GIT-BRANCH(1) |
NAME¶
git-branch - List, create, or delete branchesSYNOPSIS¶
git branch [--color[=<when>] | --no-color] [-r | -a] [--list] [-v [--abbrev=<length> | --no-abbrev]] [--column[=<options>] | --no-column] [(--merged | --no-merged | --contains) [<commit>]] [--sort=<key>] [--points-at <object>] [<pattern>...] git branch [--set-upstream | --track | --no-track] [-l] [-f] <branchname> [<start-point>] git branch (--set-upstream-to=<upstream> | -u <upstream>) [<branchname>] git branch --unset-upstream [<branchname>] git branch (-m | -M) [<oldbranch>] <newbranch> git branch (-d | -D) [-r] <branchname>... git branch --edit-description [<branchname>]
DESCRIPTION¶
If --list is given, or if there are no non-option arguments, existing branches are listed; the current branch will be highlighted with an asterisk. Option -r causes the remote-tracking branches to be listed, and option -a shows both local and remote branches. If a <pattern> is given, it is used as a shell wildcard to restrict the output to matching branches. If multiple patterns are given, a branch is shown if it matches any of the patterns. Note that when providing a <pattern>, you must use --list; otherwise the command is interpreted as branch creation. With --contains, shows only the branches that contain the named commit (in other words, the branches whose tip commits are descendants of the named commit). With --merged, only branches merged into the named commit (i.e. the branches whose tip commits are reachable from the named commit) will be listed. With --no-merged only branches not merged into the named commit will be listed. If the <commit> argument is missing it defaults to HEAD (i.e. the tip of the current branch). The command’s second form creates a new branch head named <branchname> which points to the current HEAD, or <start-point> if given. Note that this will create the new branch, but it will not switch the working tree to it; use "git checkout <newbranch>" to switch to the new branch. When a local branch is started off a remote-tracking branch, Git sets up the branch (specifically the branch.<name>.remote and branch.<name>.merge configuration entries) so that git pull will appropriately merge from the remote-tracking branch. This behavior may be changed via the global branch.autoSetupMerge configuration flag. That setting can be overridden by using the --track and --no-track options, and changed later using git branch --set-upstream-to. With a -m or -M option, <oldbranch> will be renamed to <newbranch>. If <oldbranch> had a corresponding reflog, it is renamed to match <newbranch>, and a reflog entry is created to remember the branch renaming. If <newbranch> exists, -M must be used to force the rename to happen. With a -d or -D option, <branchname> will be deleted. You may specify more than one branch for deletion. If the branch currently has a reflog then the reflog will also be deleted. Use -r together with -d to delete remote-tracking branches. Note, that it only makes sense to delete remote-tracking branches if they no longer exist in the remote repository or if git fetch was configured not to fetch them again. See also the prune subcommand of git-remote(1) for a way to clean up all obsolete remote-tracking branches.OPTIONS¶
-d, --deleteDelete a branch. The branch must be fully merged in its
upstream branch, or in HEAD if no upstream was set with --track
or --set-upstream.
-D
Shortcut for --delete --force.
-l, --create-reflog
Create the branch’s reflog. This activates
recording of all changes made to the branch ref, enabling use of date based
sha1 expressions such as "<branchname>@{yesterday}". Note that
in non-bare repositories, reflogs are usually enabled by default by the
core.logallrefupdates config option.
-f, --force
Reset <branchname> to <startpoint> if
<branchname> exists already. Without -fgit branch refuses
to change an existing branch. In combination with -d (or
--delete), allow deleting the branch irrespective of its merged status.
In combination with -m (or --move), allow renaming the branch
even if the new branch name already exists.
-m, --move
Move/rename a branch and the corresponding reflog.
-M
Shortcut for --move --force.
--color[=<when>]
Color branches to highlight current, local, and
remote-tracking branches. The value must be always (the default), never, or
auto.
--no-color
Turn off branch colors, even when the configuration file
gives the default to color output. Same as --color=never.
--column[=<options>], --no-column
Display branch listing in columns. See configuration
variable column.branch for option syntax. --column and
--no-column without options are equivalent to always and
never respectively.
This option is only applicable in non-verbose mode.
-r, --remotes
List or delete (if used with -d) the remote-tracking
branches.
-a, --all
List both remote-tracking branches and local
branches.
--list
Activate the list mode. git branch <pattern>
would try to create a branch, use git branch --list <pattern> to
list matching branches.
-v, -vv, --verbose
When in list mode, show sha1 and commit subject line for
each head, along with relationship to upstream branch (if any). If given
twice, print the name of the upstream branch, as well (see also git remote
show <remote>).
-q, --quiet
Be more quiet when creating or deleting a branch,
suppressing non-error messages.
--abbrev=<length>
Alter the sha1’s minimum display length in the
output listing. The default value is 7 and can be overridden by the
core.abbrev config option.
--no-abbrev
Display the full sha1s in the output listing rather than
abbreviating them.
-t, --track
When creating a new branch, set up
branch.<name>.remote and branch.<name>.merge
configuration entries to mark the start-point branch as "upstream"
from the new branch. This configuration will tell git to show the relationship
between the two branches in git status and git branch -v.
Furthermore, it directs git pull without arguments to pull from the
upstream when the new branch is checked out.
This behavior is the default when the start point is a remote-tracking branch.
Set the branch.autoSetupMerge configuration variable to false if you
want git checkout and git branch to always behave as if
--no-track were given. Set it to always if you want this
behavior when the start-point is either a local or remote-tracking
branch.
--no-track
Do not set up "upstream" configuration, even if
the branch.autoSetupMerge configuration variable is true.
--set-upstream
If specified branch does not exist yet or if
--force has been given, acts exactly like --track. Otherwise
sets up configuration like --track would when creating the branch,
except that where branch points to is not changed.
-u <upstream>, --set-upstream-to=<upstream>
Set up <branchname>'s tracking information so
<upstream> is considered <branchname>'s upstream branch. If no
<branchname> is specified, then it defaults to the current branch.
--unset-upstream
Remove the upstream information for <branchname>.
If no branch is specified it defaults to the current branch.
--edit-description
Open an editor and edit the text to explain what the
branch is for, to be used by various other commands (e.g. format-patch,
request-pull, and merge (if enabled)). Multi-line explanations
may be used.
--contains [<commit>]
Only list branches which contain the specified commit
(HEAD if not specified). Implies --list.
--merged [<commit>]
Only list branches whose tips are reachable from the
specified commit (HEAD if not specified). Implies --list.
--no-merged [<commit>]
Only list branches whose tips are not reachable from the
specified commit (HEAD if not specified). Implies --list.
<branchname>
The name of the branch to create or delete. The new
branch name must pass all checks defined by git-check-ref-format(1).
Some of these checks may restrict the characters allowed in a branch
name.
<start-point>
The new branch head will point to this commit. It may be
given as a branch name, a commit-id, or a tag. If this option is omitted, the
current HEAD will be used instead.
<oldbranch>
The name of an existing branch to rename.
<newbranch>
The new name for an existing branch. The same
restrictions as for <branchname> apply.
--sort=<key>
Sort based on the key given. Prefix - to sort in
descending order of the value. You may use the --sort=<key> option
multiple times, in which case the last key becomes the primary key. The keys
supported are the same as those in git for-each-ref. Sort order
defaults to sorting based on the full refname (including refs/...
prefix). This lists detached HEAD (if present) first, then local branches and
finally remote-tracking branches.
--points-at <object>
Only list branches of the given object.
EXAMPLES¶
Start development from a known tag$ git clone git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/.../linux-2.6 my2.6 $ cd my2.6 $ git branch my2.6.14 v2.6.14 (1) $ git checkout my2.6.14
$ git clone git://git.kernel.org/.../git.git my.git $ cd my.git $ git branch -d -r origin/todo origin/html origin/man (1) $ git branch -D test (2)
NOTES¶
If you are creating a branch that you want to checkout immediately, it is easier to use the git checkout command with its -b option to create a branch and check it out with a single command. The options --contains, --merged and --no-merged serve three related but different purposes:•--contains <commit> is used to find
all branches which will need special attention if <commit> were to be
rebased or amended, since those branches contain the specified
<commit>.
•--merged is used to find all branches
which can be safely deleted, since those branches are fully contained by
HEAD.
•--no-merged is used to find branches which
are candidates for merging into HEAD, since those branches are not fully
contained by HEAD.
SEE ALSO¶
git-check-ref-format(1), git-fetch(1), git-remote(1), “Understanding history: What is a branch?”[1] in the Git User’s Manual.GIT¶
Part of the git(1) suiteNOTES¶
- 1.
- “Understanding history: What is a branch?”
05/15/2017 | Git 2.11.0 |