SYNOPSIS
--------
[verse]
-'git branch' [--color | --no-color] [-r | -a]
+'git branch' [--color[=<when>] | --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' [--set-upstream | --track | --no-track] [-l] [-f] <branchname> [<start-point>]
'git branch' (-m | -M) [<oldbranch>] <newbranch>
'git branch' (-d | -D) [-r] <branchname>...
the named commit will be listed. If the <commit> argument is missing it
defaults to 'HEAD' (i.e. the tip of the current branch).
-In the command's 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>.
-If no <start-point> is given, the branch will be created with a head
-equal to that of the currently checked out 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 branch, git sets up the
-branch so that 'git-pull' will appropriately merge from
+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.
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
+in the remote repository or if 'git fetch' was configured not to fetch
them again. See also the 'prune' subcommand of linkgit:git-remote[1] for a
way to clean up all obsolete remote-tracking branches.
based sha1 expressions such as "<branchname>@\{yesterday}".
-f::
+--force::
Reset <branchname> to <startpoint> if <branchname> exists
- already. Without `-f` 'git-branch' refuses to change an existing branch.
+ already. Without `-f` 'git branch' refuses to change an existing branch.
-m::
Move/rename a branch and the corresponding reflog.
-M::
Move/rename a branch even if the new branch name already exists.
---color::
+--color[=<when>]::
Color branches to highlight current, local, and remote 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`.
-r::
List or delete (if used with -d) the remote-tracking branches.
Do not set up "upstream" configuration, even if the
branch.autosetupmerge configuration variable is true.
+--set-upstream::
+ If specified branch does not exist yet or if '--force' has been
+ given, acts exactly like '--track'. Otherwise sets up configuration
+ like '--track' would when creating the branch, except that where
+ branch points to is not changed.
+
--contains <commit>::
Only list branches which contain the specified commit.
---merged::
- Only list branches which are fully contained by HEAD.
+--merged [<commit>]::
+ Only list branches whose tips are reachable from the
+ specified commit (HEAD if not specified).
---no-merged::
- Do not list branches which are fully contained by HEAD.
+--no-merged [<commit>]::
+ Only list branches whose tips are not reachable from the
+ specified commit (HEAD if not specified).
<branchname>::
The name of the branch to create or delete.
may restrict the characters allowed in a branch name.
<start-point>::
- The new branch will be created with a HEAD equal to this. It may
- be given as a branch name, a commit-id, or a tag. If this option
- is omitted, the current branch is assumed.
+ 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.
- `--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
+--------
+linkgit:git-check-ref-format[1],
+linkgit:git-fetch[1],
+linkgit:git-remote[1],
+link:user-manual.html#what-is-a-branch[``Understanding history: What is
+a branch?''] in the Git User's Manual.
+
Author
------
Written by Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org> and Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>