MEPX
Chapter 5 of 14All chapters
  1. 1What Git is
  2. 2The three places
  3. 3Committing
  4. 4History and diffs
  5. 5Branches
  6. 6Merging
  7. 7Conflicts
  8. 8Remotes
  9. 9Fetch, pull and push
  10. 10Undoing work
  11. 11Stashing
  12. 12Ignoring files
  13. 13Tags and releases
  14. 14Working with others

Chapter 5 of 14

Branches

A label that moves with your commits.

Creating and switching

A branch is a moving label on a commit. git switch -c feature creates one and moves you onto it, which is the modern spelling of git checkout -b.

  • git branch on its own creates the label and leaves you where you are.
  • git switch main moves you back without touching your commits.

Why branch at all

Branches keep unfinished work out of the shared line of history. They cost nothing in Git, so a branch per task is normal rather than ceremonial.