1. Creating a Branch
To create a
new branch, you use the git branch command
followed by the name of the new branch.
For
example:
git branch feature-branch
This command creates a new
branch named feature-branch but
doesn't switch to it yet.
2. Switching Branches
To switch
to a different branch, you use the git checkout command
followed by the name of the branch.
For
example:
git checkout feature-branch
This command switches to the
feature-branch so that
any changes made will be applied to that branch.
3. Creating and Switching to
a New Branch Simultaneously
You can
create and switch to a new branch in a single command using git
checkout -b.
For
example:
git checkout -b new-feature
This command creates a new
branch named new-feature and
switches to it.
4. Listing Branches
You can
list all branches in your repository using the git branch command.
For
example:
git branch
This command will list all
branches, with an asterisk (*) indicating the current branch.
5. Merging Branches
Once you've
made changes in a branch and want to incorporate those changes into another
branch (usually the main branch), you perform a merge. For example, if you're
on the feature-branch and want
to merge it into main:
git checkout main
git merge feature-branch
This will merge the changes
from feature-branch into main.
6. Deleting Branches
After
merging a branch into another branch, you might want to delete the now-merged
branch. You can do this using the -d flag with git branch.
For
example:
git branch -d feature-branch
This will delete the feature-branch.
Example Scenario:
Let's say
you're working on a new feature for a project. You create a new branch called new-feature:
git checkout -b new-feature
You make changes to the
code, commit them:
git add .
git commit -m "Implemented
new feature"
Then, you switch back to the
main branch and merge your changes:
git checkout main
git merge new-feature
Finally, you delete the new-feature branch
since it's no longer needed:
git branch -d new-feature
This workflow allows you to
keep your main branch clean and stable while working on new features or bug
fixes in separate branches.
