GIT-BRANCH(1) Git Manual GIT-BRANCH(1)
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
Delete a branch. The branch must be fully merged in its upstream branch, or in HEAD if no upstream was set
an existing branch.
-m, --move
Move/rename a branch and the corresponding reflog.
-M
Move/rename a branch even if the new branch name already exists.
--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 configuration 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
-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. request-pull).
--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.
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
1. This step and the next one could be combined into a single step with "checkout -b my2.6.14 v2.6.14".
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)
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) suite
NOTES
1. “Understanding history: What is a branch?”
file:///usr/share/doc/git-1.8.3.1/user-manual.html#what-is-a-branch
Git 1.8.3.1 03/23/2016 GIT-BRANCH(1)
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