Git Branch Introduction
In this page:
git branch branch_name
git switch branch_nameWhat is a Git Branch?
A branch is Git's mechanism for an independent line of development -- under the hood it's just a movable pointer to a commit, which is why creating one is instant and cheap, letting you experiment freely without risking your stable code.
Example: What is a Git Branch?
git branch feature-loginWhy Use Branches?
Branches let separate pieces of work happen in isolation: one developer builds a feature, another fixes a bug, and neither set of unfinished changes can accidentally break what's running in production until it's deliberately merged in.
Example: Why Use Branches?
git branch bugfix-header
git branch feature-paymentThe Default Branch
Every repository starts with one default branch -- conventionally named main (or the older master) -- which by convention represents the project's current stable, deployable state, even though Git treats it as just another branch technically.
Example: The Default Branch
git branch
# * mainLocal vs Remote Branches
A local branch exists only on your own machine until you push it; a remote branch is one hosted on a server like GitHub. You fetch remote branches to see what teammates have done before deciding whether to merge those changes locally.
Example: Local vs Remote Branches
git branch
git branch -rBasic Branch Workflow
The everyday branch workflow is: create a branch for your task, switch onto it, commit your changes there, merge those commits back into main once finished, then delete the now-unneeded branch to keep the repository tidy.
Example: Basic Branch Workflow
git branch feature-x
git checkout feature-x
git commit -m "Add feature"
git checkout main
git merge feature-x
git branch -d feature-x- Thinking a branch is a full copy of the project, when it is a lightweight pointer to a commit.
- Creating a branch with
git branch featureand assuming you are now working on it, when you stay on the current branch until you switch. - Committing new work to
mainby accident because the current branch was not checked first.
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