Listing branches in Git - Step-by-Step Execution

Process Flow - Listing branches

Start in Git repo

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Run 'git branch'

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Git reads local branches

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Display list of branches

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End

The flow shows how Git lists all local branches when you run the 'git branch' command.

Execution Sample

Git

git branch

This command lists all local branches in the current Git repository.

Process Table

Step	Action	Evaluation	Result
1	Run 'git branch' command	Git checks local branch references	Finds branches: main, feature1, bugfix
2	Prepare output list	Mark current branch with '*'	* main feature1 bugfix
3	Display branches to user	Output list shown in terminal	Branches listed with current branch marked
4	End	No more actions	Command completes

💡 All local branches listed and command finishes

Status Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 1	After Step 2	After Step 3	Final
branches	empty	[main, feature1, bugfix]	[* main, feature1, bugfix]	[* main, feature1, bugfix]	[* main, feature1, bugfix]
current_branch	unknown	main	main	main	main

Key Moments - 2 Insights

Why is one branch marked with an asterisk (*)?

The asterisk (*) marks the current branch you are on, as shown in execution_table step 2 where '* main' indicates 'main' is active.

Does 'git branch' show remote branches?

'git branch' by default shows only local branches. To see remote branches, you need 'git branch -r'. This is why only local branches appear in the output in execution_table step 1.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution table, what is the list of branches after step 1?

A [* main, feature1, bugfix]

B [main]

C [main, feature1, bugfix]

D empty

💡 Hint

Check the 'branches' variable in variable_tracker after Step 1

At which step is the current branch marked with '*'?

A Step 2

B Step 3

C Step 1

D Step 4

💡 Hint

Look at the 'Action' and 'Result' columns in execution_table for marking

If you want to list remote branches, what should you do?

A Run 'git branch'

B Run 'git branch -r'

C Run 'git branch -a'

D Run 'git remote show'

💡 Hint

Recall key_moments about local vs remote branches

Concept Snapshot

git branch
Lists all local branches in the current repository.
The current branch is marked with '*'.
To list remote branches, use 'git branch -r'.
To list all branches (local + remote), use 'git branch -a'.

Full Transcript

When you run 'git branch', Git reads all local branch references in your repository. It then prepares a list of these branches and marks the current active branch with an asterisk (*). Finally, it displays this list in your terminal. This command only shows local branches. To see remote branches, you need to add the '-r' option. The current branch marking helps you know which branch you are working on. The command finishes after displaying the list.