What is the difference between "git branch" and "git checkout -b"?
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I used git checkout -b to create a new branch. I think that git branch does the same thing.
How do these two commands differ, if they differ at all?
Git Solutions
Solution 1 - Git
git checkout -b BRANCH_NAME creates a new branch and checks out the new branch while git branch BRANCH_NAME creates a new branch but leaves you on the same branch.
In other words git checkout -b BRANCH_NAME does the following for you.
git branch BRANCH_NAME # create a new branch
git switch BRANCH_NAME # then switch to the new branch
Solution 2 - Git
git branch creates the branch but you remain in the current branch that you have checked out.
git checkout -b creates a branch and checks it out.
It could be considered a short form of:
git branch name
git checkout name
Solution 3 - Git
git branch: Shows all your branchesgit branch newbranch: Creates a new branchgit checkout -b newbranch: Creates a new branch and switches to that branch immediately. This is the same asgit branch newbranchfollowed bygit checkout newbranch.
Solution 4 - Git
Full syntax:
git checkout -b [NEW_BRANCH] [FROM_BRANCH]
The [FROM_BRANCH] is optional. If there's no FROM_BRANCH, git will use the current branch.
Solution 5 - Git
There is also another flag to mention, which is relative to these..
git checkout -B BRANCH_NAME
This is a very useful command that i've been using recently. This command checks out the branch you specify, and resets the branch based on the source branch.
Solution 6 - Git
There are forms of both commands that are similar (looking at git-scm docs Version 2.11.1):
git branch <branchname> <start-point>
and
git checkout -b <new_branch> <start_point>
The latter executing the branch command first and then adding the checkout. In that form explicitly references to git-branch's doc:
> Specifying -b causes a new branch to be created as if git-branch[2] > were called and then checked out
Solution 7 - Git
Essentially :
A-git branch
B -git checkout -b
When will you use which ? 1- git branch when you want to create a branch but stay on the current branch. 2- git checkout -b when you want to create and switch. If you look at it is intuitive to create a branch and switch to it. So the choice is yours :)