DESCRIPTION
-----------
-
-When <paths> are not given, this command switches branches by
-updating the index, working tree, and HEAD to reflect the specified
+Updates files in the working tree to match the version in the index
+or the specified tree. If no paths are given, 'git checkout' will
+also update `HEAD` to set the specified branch as the current
branch.
-If `-b` is given, a new branch is created and checked out, as if
-linkgit:git-branch[1] were called; in this case you can
-use the --track or --no-track options, which will be passed to `git
-branch`. As a convenience, --track without `-b` implies branch
-creation; see the description of --track below.
-
-When <paths> or --patch are given, this command does *not* switch
-branches. It updates the named paths in the working tree from
-the index file, or from a named <tree-ish> (most often a commit). In
-this case, the `-b` and `--track` options are meaningless and giving
-either of them results in an error. The <tree-ish> argument can be
-used to specify a specific tree-ish (i.e. commit, tag or tree)
-to update the index for the given paths before updating the
-working tree.
-
-The index may contain unmerged entries after a failed merge. By
-default, if you try to check out such an entry from the index, the
+'git checkout' [<branch>]::
+'git checkout' -b <new branch> [<start point>]::
+
+ This form switches branches by updating the index, working
+ tree, and HEAD to reflect the specified branch.
++
+If `-b` is given, a new branch is created as if linkgit:git-branch[1]
+were called and then checked out; in this case you can
+use the `--track` or `--no-track` options, which will be passed to
+'git branch'. As a convenience, `--track` without `-b` implies branch
+creation; see the description of `--track` below.
+
+'git checkout' [--patch] [<tree-ish>] [--] <pathspec>...::
+
+ When <paths> or `--patch` are given, 'git checkout' *not* switch
+ branches. It updates the named paths in the working tree from
+ the index file or from a named <tree-ish> (most often a commit). In
+ this case, the `-b` and `--track` options are meaningless and giving
+ either of them results in an error. The <tree-ish> argument can be
+ used to specify a specific tree-ish (i.e. commit, tag or tree)
+ to update the index for the given paths before updating the
+ working tree.
++
+The index may contain unmerged entries because of a previous failed merge.
+By default, if you try to check out such an entry from the index, the
checkout operation will fail and nothing will be checked out.
-Using -f will ignore these unmerged entries. The contents from a
+Using `-f` will ignore these unmerged entries. The contents from a
specific side of the merge can be checked out of the index by
-using --ours or --theirs. With -m, changes made to the working tree
-file can be discarded to recreate the original conflicted merge result.
+using `--ours` or `--theirs`. With `-m`, changes made to the working tree
+file can be discarded to re-create the original conflicted merge result.
OPTIONS
-------
+
------------
$ git checkout mytopic
-fatal: Entry 'frotz' not uptodate. Cannot merge.
+error: You have local changes to 'frotz'; not switching branches.
------------
+
You can give the `-m` flag to the command, which would try a