6 git-switch - Switch branches
11 'git switch' [<options>] [--no-guess] <branch>
12 'git switch' [<options>] --detach [<start-point>]
13 'git switch' [<options>] (-c|-C) <new-branch> [<start-point>]
14 'git switch' [<options>] --orphan <new-branch>
18 Switch to a specified branch. The working tree and the index are
19 updated to match the branch. All new commits will be added to the tip
22 Optionally a new branch could be created with either `-c`, `-C`,
23 automatically from a remote branch of same name (see `--guess`), or
24 detach the working tree from any branch with `--detach`, along with
27 Switching branches does not require a clean index and working tree
28 (i.e. no differences compared to `HEAD`). The operation is aborted
29 however if the operation leads to loss of local changes, unless told
30 otherwise with `--discard-changes` or `--merge`.
32 THIS COMMAND IS EXPERIMENTAL. THE BEHAVIOR MAY CHANGE.
40 Name for the new branch.
43 The starting point for the new branch. Specifying a
44 `<start-point>` allows you to create a branch based on some
45 other point in history than where HEAD currently points. (Or,
46 in the case of `--detach`, allows you to inspect and detach
47 from some other point.)
49 You can use the `@{-N}` syntax to refer to the N-th last
50 branch/commit switched to using "git switch" or "git checkout"
51 operation. You may also specify `-` which is synonymous to `@{-1}`.
52 This is often used to switch quickly between two branches, or to undo
53 a branch switch by mistake.
55 As a special case, you may use `A...B` as a shortcut for the merge
56 base of `A` and `B` if there is exactly one merge base. You can leave
57 out at most one of `A` and `B`, in which case it defaults to `HEAD`.
60 --create <new-branch>::
61 Create a new branch named `<new-branch>` starting at
62 `<start-point>` before switching to the branch. This is a
63 convenient shortcut for:
66 $ git branch <new-branch>
67 $ git switch <new-branch>
71 --force-create <new-branch>::
72 Similar to `--create` except that if `<new-branch>` already
73 exists, it will be reset to `<start-point>`. This is a
74 convenient shortcut for:
77 $ git branch -f <new-branch>
78 $ git switch <new-branch>
83 Switch to a commit for inspection and discardable
84 experiments. See the "DETACHED HEAD" section in
85 linkgit:git-checkout[1] for details.
89 If `<branch>` is not found but there does exist a tracking
90 branch in exactly one remote (call it `<remote>`) with a
91 matching name, treat as equivalent to
94 $ git switch -c <branch> --track <remote>/<branch>
97 If the branch exists in multiple remotes and one of them is named by
98 the `checkout.defaultRemote` configuration variable, we'll use that
99 one for the purposes of disambiguation, even if the `<branch>` isn't
100 unique across all remotes. Set it to e.g. `checkout.defaultRemote=origin`
101 to always checkout remote branches from there if `<branch>` is
102 ambiguous but exists on the 'origin' remote. See also
103 `checkout.defaultRemote` in linkgit:git-config[1].
105 `--guess` is the default behavior. Use `--no-guess` to disable it.
109 An alias for `--discard-changes`.
112 Proceed even if the index or the working tree differs from
113 `HEAD`. Both the index and working tree are restored to match
114 the switching target. If `--recurse-submodules` is specified,
115 submodule content is also restored to match the switching
116 target. This is used to throw away local changes.
120 If you have local modifications to one or more files that are
121 different between the current branch and the branch to which
122 you are switching, the command refuses to switch branches in
123 order to preserve your modifications in context. However,
124 with this option, a three-way merge between the current
125 branch, your working tree contents, and the new branch is
126 done, and you will be on the new branch.
128 When a merge conflict happens, the index entries for conflicting
129 paths are left unmerged, and you need to resolve the conflicts
130 and mark the resolved paths with `git add` (or `git rm` if the merge
131 should result in deletion of the path).
134 The same as `--merge` option above, but changes the way the
135 conflicting hunks are presented, overriding the
136 `merge.conflictStyle` configuration variable. Possible values are
137 "merge" (default) and "diff3" (in addition to what is shown by
138 "merge" style, shows the original contents).
142 Quiet, suppress feedback messages.
146 Progress status is reported on the standard error stream
147 by default when it is attached to a terminal, unless `--quiet`
148 is specified. This flag enables progress reporting even if not
149 attached to a terminal, regardless of `--quiet`.
153 When creating a new branch, set up "upstream" configuration.
154 `-c` is implied. See `--track` in linkgit:git-branch[1] for
157 If no `-c` option is given, the name of the new branch will be derived
158 from the remote-tracking branch, by looking at the local part of the
159 refspec configured for the corresponding remote, and then stripping
160 the initial part up to the "*". This would tell us to use `hack` as
161 the local branch when branching off of `origin/hack` (or
162 `remotes/origin/hack`, or even `refs/remotes/origin/hack`). If the
163 given name has no slash, or the above guessing results in an empty
164 name, the guessing is aborted. You can explicitly give a name with
168 Do not set up "upstream" configuration, even if the
169 `branch.autoSetupMerge` configuration variable is true.
171 --orphan <new-branch>::
172 Create a new 'orphan' branch, named `<new-branch>`. All
173 tracked files are removed.
175 --ignore-other-worktrees::
176 `git switch` refuses when the wanted ref is already
177 checked out by another worktree. This option makes it check
178 the ref out anyway. In other words, the ref can be held by
179 more than one worktree.
181 --recurse-submodules::
182 --no-recurse-submodules::
183 Using `--recurse-submodules` will update the content of all
184 active submodules according to the commit recorded in the
185 superproject. If nothing (or `--no-recurse-submodules`) is
186 used, submodules working trees will not be updated. Just
187 like linkgit:git-submodule[1], this will detach `HEAD` of the
193 The following command switches to the "master" branch:
199 After working in the wrong branch, switching to the correct branch
206 However, your "wrong" branch and correct "mytopic" branch may differ
207 in files that you have modified locally, in which case the above
208 switch would fail like this:
212 error: You have local changes to 'frotz'; not switching branches.
215 You can give the `-m` flag to the command, which would try a three-way
219 $ git switch -m mytopic
223 After this three-way merge, the local modifications are _not_
224 registered in your index file, so `git diff` would show you what
225 changes you made since the tip of the new branch.
227 To switch back to the previous branch before we switched to mytopic
228 (i.e. "master" branch):
234 You can grow a new branch from any commit. For example, switch to
235 "HEAD~3" and create branch "fixup":
238 $ git switch -c fixup HEAD~3
239 Switched to a new branch 'fixup'
242 If you want to start a new branch from a remote branch of the same
246 $ git switch new-topic
247 Branch 'new-topic' set up to track remote branch 'new-topic' from 'origin'
248 Switched to a new branch 'new-topic'
251 To check out commit `HEAD~3` for temporary inspection or experiment
252 without creating a new branch:
255 $ git switch --detach HEAD~3
256 HEAD is now at 9fc9555312 Merge branch 'cc/shared-index-permbits'
259 If it turns out whatever you have done is worth keeping, you can
260 always create a new name for it (without switching away):
263 $ git switch -c good-surprises
268 linkgit:git-checkout[1],
269 linkgit:git-branch[1]
273 Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite