SYNOPSIS
--------
[verse]
-'git-branch' [--color | --no-color] [-r | -a]
- [-v [--abbrev=<length> | --no-abbrev]]
- [--contains <commit>]
-'git-branch' [--track | --no-track] [-l] [-f] <branchname> [<start-point>]
-'git
-branch' (-m | -M) [<oldbranch>] <newbranch>
-'git-branch' (-d | -D) [-r] <branchname>...
+'git branch' [--color | --no-color] [-r | -a]
+ [-v [--abbrev=<length> | --no-abbrev]]
+ [(--merged | --no-merged | --contains) [<commit>]]
+'git branch' [--track | --no-track] [-l] [-f] <branchname> [<start-point>]
+'git
branch' (-m | -M) [<oldbranch>] <newbranch>
+'git branch' (-d | -D) [-r] <branchname>...
DESCRIPTION
-----------
-With no arguments given a list of existing branches
-will be shown, the current branch will be highlighted with an asterisk.
-Option `-r` causes the remote-tracking branches to be listed,
-and option `-a` shows both.
-With `--contains <commit>`, shows only the branches that
-contains the named commit (in other words, the branches whose
-tip commits are descendant of the named commit).
+
+With no 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.
+
+With `--contains`, shows only the branches that contains the named commit
+(in other words, the branches whose tip commits are descendant 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. Missing <commit> argument defaults to
+'HEAD' (i.e. the tip of the current branch).
In its second form, a new branch named <branchname> will be created.
It will start out with a head equal to the one given as <start-point>.
working tree to it; use "git checkout <newbranch>" to switch to the
new branch.
-When a local branch is started off a remote branch, git can setup the
-branch so that gitlink:git-pull[1] will appropriately merge from that
-remote branch. If this behavior is desired, it is possible to make it
-the default using the global `branch.autosetupmerge` configuration
-flag. Otherwise, it can be chosen per-branch using the `--track`
-and `--no-track` options.
+When a local branch is started off a remote branch, git sets up the
+branch so that 'git-pull' will appropriately merge from
+the remote 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.
With a '-m' or '-M' option, <oldbranch> will be renamed to <newbranch>.
If <oldbranch> had a corresponding reflog, it is renamed to match
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 remote repository or if gitlink:git-fetch[1] was configured not to fetch
-them again. See also 'prune' subcommand of gitlink:git-remote[1] for way to
+in remote repository or if 'git-fetch' was configured not to fetch
+them again. See also 'prune' subcommand of linkgit:git-remote[1] for way to
clean up all obsolete remote-tracking branches.
-a::
List both remote-tracking branches and local branches.
--v, --verbose::
+-v::
+--verbose::
Show sha1 and commit subject line for each head.
--abbrev=<length>::
Display the full sha1s in output listing rather than abbreviating them.
--track::
- Set up configuration so that git-pull will automatically
- retrieve data from the remote branch. Use this if you always
- pull from the same remote branch into the new branch, or if you
- don't want to use "git pull <repository> <refspec>" explicitly. Set the
- branch.autosetupmerge configuration variable to true if you
- want git-checkout and git-branch to always behave as if
- '--track' were given.
+ When creating a new branch, set up configuration so that 'git-pull'
+ will automatically retrieve data from the start point, which must be
+ a branch. Use this if you always pull from the same upstream branch
+ into the new branch, and if you don't want to use "git pull
+ <repository> <refspec>" explicitly. This behavior is the default
+ when the start point is a remote 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 branch.
--no-track::
- When a branch is created off a remote branch,
- set up configuration so that git-pull will not retrieve data
- from the remote branch, ignoring the branch.autosetupmerge
- configuration variable.
+ Ignore the branch.autosetupmerge configuration variable.
+
+--contains <commit>::
+ Only list branches which contain the specified commit.
+
+--merged::
+ Only list branches which are fully contained by HEAD.
+
+--no-merged::
+ Do not list branches which are fully contained by HEAD.
<branchname>::
The name of the branch to create or delete.
The new branch name must pass all checks defined by
- gitlink:git-check-ref-format[1]. Some of these checks
+ linkgit:git-check-ref-format[1]. Some of these checks
may restrict the characters allowed in a branch name.
<start-point>::
+
<1> Delete remote-tracking branches "todo", "html", "man". Next 'fetch' or
'pull' will create them again unless you configure them not to. See
-gitlink:git-fetch[1].
+linkgit:git-fetch[1].
<2> Delete "test" branch even if the "master" branch (or whichever branch is
currently checked out) does not have all commits from test branch.
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` serves 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.
Author
------
-Written by Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org> and Junio C Hamano <junkio@cox.net>
+Written by Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org> and Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Documentation
--------------
GIT
---
-Part of the gitlink:git[7] suite
+Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite