SYNOPSIS
--------
[verse]
-'git-branch' [--color | --no-color] [-r | -a]
- [-v [--abbrev=<length> | --no-abbrev]]
-'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 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
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.
+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 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.
OPTIONS
-------
-d::
- Delete a branch. The branch must be fully merged.
+ Delete a branch. The branch must be fully merged in HEAD.
-D::
- Delete a branch irrespective of its index status.
+ Delete a branch irrespective of its merged status.
-l::
Create the branch's reflog. This activates recording of
-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 -b is given and 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>::
$ git branch -D test <2>
------------
+
-<1> Delete remote-tracking branches "todo", "html", "man"
-<2> Delete "test" branch even if the "master" branch does not have all
-commits from test branch.
+<1> Delete remote-tracking branches "todo", "html", "man". Next 'fetch' or
+'pull' will create them again unless you configure them not to. See
+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.
Notes
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