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Branches In GIT

In this article, we will discuss about branches in git.

What Are Branches?

Consider an example where want to maintain different versions of code for the same client for example one for development, one of testing and one for production.

For accomplishing that, we create different branches. So a branch represents an independent line of development.

How To Get The List Of All Branches?

To get the list of all the branches, we can use the following command

git branch –a

Or 

git branch

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Master Branch

Master branch is the first branch created on git. This branch is created after the first commit.

How To Create A New Branch?

To create a new branch, use the following command

git branch <branch_name>

The new branch will copy all the contents of the current branch.

Picture showing the git branch command to create a new branch in git

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How To Switch Between Branches?

To switch between branches, use the following command

git checkout <branch_name>

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How To Delete A Branch?

To delete a branch use the following command.

git branch –D <branch_name>

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Create And Check-In The Branch In One Command

Use the following command

git checkout –b <branch_name>

It is important to note that branch should not exists else you will get following error - fatal: A branch named 'branch_name' already exists.

Picture showing the command to create and switch the branch in git

Click to Enlarge

How To Rename A Branch?

If you are on the same branch which you want to rename then use following command

git branch –m <new branch name>

But if you are on the different branch then you can use following command

git branch –m <old branch name> <new branch name>

Posted By -	Karan Gupta

Posted On -	Thursday, August 1, 2019

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