• git branch → List branches
• git branch <name> → Create a new branch
• git checkout <branch> → Switch to a branch
• git checkout -b <branch> → Create & switch to a new branch
• git merge <branch> → Merge a branch into current branch
• git branch -d <branch> → Delete a branch
• git branch -D <branch> → Force delete a branch

How Branches Work

• Branch = pointer: A branch is simply a movable pointer to a commit
• HEAD: Points to the current branch you’re working on
• Default branch: Usually main (or master in older repos)
• Local vs. remote branches: Local branches exist in your repo; remote-tracking branches (like origin/main) track branches from remotes

git branch

git branch [options] [<branch-name>] [<start-point>]

# List all local branches:
git branch

# List local and remote branches:
git branch -a

# Create a new branch:
git branch feature-login

# Switch to a branch (with checkout or switch):
git checkout feature-login
git switch feature-login

# Create and switch in one step:
git checkout -b feature-login
git switch -c feature-login

# Delete a branch:
git branch -d feature-login
git branch -D feature-login   # force delete

# Rename a branch:
git branch -m old-name new-name

# Set upstream branch:
git branch --set-upstream-to=origin/main

• Description: Manages branches in a Git repository.
• Usage: It shows existing branches, makes new branches pointing to a commit, remove local branches, change branch names, shows details about branch tracking and upstream configuration,
• Think Tank: Branches are lightweight pointers to commits.

• Best Practices:
  • Use descriptive branch names (e.g., feature/login, bugfix/payment)
  • Regularly prune merged branches to keep repo clean
  • Always check with git branch -vv to confirm tracking info
  • Avoid force-deleting unless you’re certain
  • Coordinate branch naming conventions in team projects

Git - git-branch Documentation

git-branch Documentation

git checkout

git checkout [options] [<branch>]

# Switch to an existing branch:
git checkout feature/login

# Create and switch to a new branch:
git checkout -b feature/login main

# Restore a file to last committed state on current branch:
git checkout -- path/to/file

# Restore a file from a specific commit or branch:
git checkout <commit-or-branch> -- path/to/file

• Description: Switches branches, creates new branches, or restores files to a specific state from a commit or branch. It can also put you in a detached HEAD state to inspect past commits.
• Usage: Move between branches
• Think Tank: Checkout works with below options:

• Best Practices:
  • Prefer git switch and git restore for clarity: Use git switch to change branches and git restore to revert files; they’re less ambiguous than checkout.
  • Create a branch when exploring history: After checking out a commit, run git switch -c temp-work to avoid losing work.
  • Be explicit with pathspecs: Use -- before file paths to avoid ambiguity with branch/commit names.
  • Check status before force: Run git status and consider stashing changes before -f or file restores.

Git - git-checkout Documentation

git-checkout Documentation

git merge

git merge [options] <branch>

# Merge a feature branch into main:
git checkout main
git merge feature-branch

# Fast-forward merge (default when possible):
git merge feature-branch

# Squash merge (single commit):
git merge --squash feature-branch
git commit -m "Squash merge feature-branch"

# Abort a merge in progress:
git merge --abort

# Continue after resolving conflicts:
git merge --continue

• Description: The git merge command is essential for combining work from different branches into a unified history. 
• Usage: It takes the commits from the specified branch and integrates them into the current branch, preserves the commit history of both branches, creates a new merge commit if histories have diverged, performs a fast-forward merge if no divergence exists.
• Think Tank: Merge has below types:

• Best Practices:
  • Use fast-forward merges for simple updates
  • Use --no-ff merges to preserve branch history when tracking feature development
  • Resolve conflicts carefully and test thoroughly before committing
  • Consider squash merges for feature branches to keep history clean
  • Delete merged branches after integration to keep repository tidy

Git - git-merge Documentation

git-merge Documentation