--------
[verse]
'git checkout' [-q] [-f] [-m] [<branch>]
-'git checkout' [-q] [-f] [-m] [[-b|--orphan] <new_branch>] [<start_point>]
+'git checkout' [-q] [-f] [-m] [[-b|-B|--orphan] <new_branch>] [<start_point>]
'git checkout' [-f|--ours|--theirs|-m|--conflict=<style>] [<tree-ish>] [--] <paths>...
'git checkout' --patch [<tree-ish>] [--] [<paths>...]
branch.
'git checkout' [<branch>]::
-'git checkout' -b <new branch> [<start point>]::
+'git checkout' -b|-B <new_branch> [<start point>]::
This form switches branches by updating the index, working
tree, and HEAD to reflect the specified branch.
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.
++
+If `-B` is given, <new_branch> is created if it doesn't exist; otherwise, it
+is reset. This is the transactional equivalent of
++
+------------
+$ git branch -f <branch> [<start point>]
+$ git checkout <branch>
+------------
++
+that is to say, the branch is not reset/created unless "git checkout" is
+successful.
'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.
+ When <paths> or `--patch` are given, 'git checkout' 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 because of a previous failed merge.
By default, if you try to check out such an entry from the index, the
Create a new branch named <new_branch> and start it at
<start_point>; see linkgit:git-branch[1] for details.
+-B::
+ Creates the branch <new_branch> and start it at <start_point>;
+ if it already exists, then reset it to <start_point>. This is
+ equivalent to running "git branch" with "-f"; see
+ linkgit:git-branch[1] for details.
+
-t::
--track::
When creating a new branch, set up "upstream" configuration. See
checks out the branch (instead of detaching). You may also specify
`-` which is synonymous with `"@\{-1\}"`.
+
-As a further special case, you may use `"A...B"` as a shortcut for the
+As a further special case, you may use `"A\...B"` as a shortcut for the
merge base of `A` and `B` if there is exactly one merge base. You can
leave out at most one of `A` and `B`, in which case it defaults to `HEAD`.
+
------------
$ 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