Recipes for `git` branches

Recipes for working with branches in `git`

If you've ever used `git`, and had to create and manage branches, you may have been impressed by how flexible and accomodating it is, but discouraged by how hard it can be to remember all the incantations. That's why I've created a list of recipes for basic branching and merging operations. Enjoy!

These recipes were distilled by me based on information found in an awesome book by Scott Chacon.

# create a branch
git branch [new-branch] [base-branch]

# switch to an existing branch
git checkout [branch]

# push branch to remote
git push [remote] [branch]

# pull changes from remote
#   pulls down remote branches,
#   but doesn't set up tracking branches
git fetch [remote]

# create and switch to a new branch
git checkout -b [branch]

# create a new branch from a specific commit (starting point)
git branch [branch] [sha-1 hash]

# create new local branch from remote branch
git checkout -b [localbranch] [remote]/[remotebranch]
# or
git checkout --track [remote]/[branch]
#   see http://git-scm.com/book/en/Git-Branching-Remote-Branches#Tracking-Branches
#   for more information about tracking branches


# merge branch into master
#   have to first switch to master
git checkout master
git merge [branch]

# check that the merge worked
#   shows an "unmerged" section if any files failed
git status

# delete a branch (after merging it)
git branch -d newbranch

# see last commit on each branch
git branch -v

# see merged branches (to current branch)
git branch --merged

# see unmerged branches (to current branch)
git branch --no-merged

# delete remote branch
#   the syntax is widely acknowledged to be obtuse
git push origin :newbranch