NAME¶

git-branch - List, create, or delete branches

SYNOPSIS¶

git branch [--color[=<when>] | --no-color] [-r | -a]


        [--list] [-v [--abbrev=<length> | --no-abbrev]]


        [--column[=<options>] | --no-column]


        [(--merged | --no-merged | --contains) [<commit>]] [<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 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, --delete

-D

-l, --create-reflog

-f, --force

-m, --move

-M

--color[=<when>]

--no-color

--column[=<options>], --no-column

-r, --remotes

-a, --all

--list

-v, -vv, --verbose

-q, --quiet

--abbrev=<length>

--no-abbrev

-t, --track

--no-track

--set-upstream

-u <upstream>, --set-upstream-to=<upstream>

--unset-upstream

--edit-description

--contains [<commit>]

--merged [<commit>]

--no-merged [<commit>]

<branchname>

<start-point>

<oldbranch>

<newbranch>

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

Delete an unneeded branch

$ 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:

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) suite

NOTES¶

1.

“Understanding history: What is a branch?”