What a branch is (pointer to a commit) in Git - Commands & Configuration

Introduction

When you work on a project, you often want to try new ideas without changing the main work. A branch in git is like a bookmark that points to a specific version of your project. It helps you keep track of different versions easily.

When you want to try a new feature without affecting the main project

When you need to fix a bug separately from ongoing work

When you want to share your work with others without mixing it with the main code

When you want to keep your main project stable while experimenting

When you want to organize your work into different tasks or ideas

Commands

This command lists all branches in your project and shows which one you are currently on.

Terminal

git branch

Expected Output

  main

* feature-1

This command creates a new branch called 'new-feature' pointing to the current commit. It does not switch to it yet.

Terminal

git branch new-feature

Expected Output

No output (command runs silently)

This command switches your working area to the 'new-feature' branch so you can start working there.

Terminal

git checkout new-feature

Expected Output

Switched to branch 'new-feature'

This command shows recent commits with branch names pointing to them, helping you see which commit each branch points to.

Terminal

git log --oneline --decorate

Expected Output

a1b2c3d (HEAD -> new-feature, main) Add new feature code

9f8e7d6 Fix typo in README

→

--oneline - Shows each commit in one line for easy reading

→

--decorate - Shows branch names and tags next to commits

Key Concept

If you remember nothing else, remember: a branch is just a name that points to a specific commit in your project history.

Common Mistakes

Creating a branch but not switching to it before making changes

Your changes will still go to the old branch, not the new one you created

After creating a branch, always switch to it using 'git checkout branch-name' before working

Deleting a branch without merging its changes

You lose the work done on that branch if it was not merged

Merge the branch into main or another branch before deleting it

Summary

Use 'git branch' to see all branches and which one is active.

Create a new branch with 'git branch branch-name' to mark a commit.

Switch to a branch with 'git checkout branch-name' to work there.

Use 'git log --oneline --decorate' to see commits and which branches point to them.