Git Branches

What is the use of Branches?

• When adding a feature or repairing a bug then always create a new branch.
• Never commit directly commit to the “main” or “master” branch which is the default branch of a GitHub Repository. Because in Open-Source Projects, code in “main” is used by everyone, and maybe our code may have some errors and is not finalised yet.

Head Branch

• It is the active and the checked out branch, commits are always made in Head Branch
• By default “HEAD” points to the “main” or “master” branch. Generally, commits are made on the “HEAD” inside the “.git” folder.

Local Branches

• The branches present in the local machine.

Remote Branches

• The branches present in remote location.

Creating new Branch

• git branch <branch_name> creates a new local branch.
• git branch <branch_name> <revision_id> creates a new local branch at the commit with revision_id

Switching Branches

• git checkout <branch> or git switch <branch> is used to change “HEAD” which will now point to the branch.

• Now commits are made to the checked out branch and the “main” or “master” branch remains unchanged.

Renaming Branches

Local Branches

• git branch -m <new_branch> will rename the current head branch.
• git branch -m <branch> <new_branch> will rename the branch.

Remote Branches

Git Merge

• git merge <branch> is used to update and merge all the changes made in the “feature” branch to the “main” or “master” branch.

Publishing Branches

• git push -u origin <branch> will push the local branch to remote. (-u helps establish a tracking connection)

Tracking Connection

• By default, branches in git have no relation with each other.
• git checkout --track <remote_branch> helps establish a tracking connection and adds the remote branch to locally.
• git branch --track <branch_name> <remote_branch> helps establish a tracking connection which allows branch to track remote branch.
• It allows git push & git pull in place of git push origin <branch> and also informs about unpulled and unpushed files using git branch -v.

Pulling Branch

• git pull will pull all the changes in remote branch to local branch.

Pushing Branch

• git push will push all the changes in local branch to remote branch.

Deleting Branch

• git branch -d <branch> will delete the branch, but it will not remove the branch which is currently head.
• git branch -D <branch> will force delete the branch with not pushed files.
• git push origin --delete <branch> will remove delete remote branches.

Merging Branch

• git merge <branch> integrates the changes of the branch in the local head branch.

Rebasing Branch

• git rebase <branch> integrates the changes of branch with the local head branch.

Comparing Branches

• git log <branch>..<another_branch> displays the commits which are made in a branch but not in other branch.