When you sometimes accidentally name a branch incorrectly or just want your project to be better organized. These are pretty common incidents, so let’s see how to rename a branch between local and remote. We will also briefly explain what Git repositories are and mention some useful commands.
How to rename a local Git branch?
Before you begin, make sure you’re on the branch you want to rename, then follow the steps as appropriate:
git checkout old-name
If you want to see all your local branches, use the following command:
git branch –list
When everything is clear, follow these steps:
- Using the Git rename branch command will require you to add an option -m:
git branch -m new-name - You can also rename a local branch from another branch using the following two commands: git checkout master git branch -m old-name new-name
- Finally, this command will list all branches, both local and remote, to verify that they have been renamed: git branch -a
How to rename a remote Git branch?
Although it is not possible to directly rename a remote branch. The process of renaming a remote Git branch involves following these three steps:
- To get started, you’ll need to rename the local branch by following the steps explained above.
- Later erase the branch previous and apply push to new. You can easily do this with the following commands: git push origin –delete old-name git push origin :old-name new-name
- Restore the upstream branch to your new local branch and you’re good to go: git push origin -u new-name
How to create a new local branch in Git?
Before creating a new branch, remember that each repository, which we’ll talk about later, contains a master branch that reflects the state of your projects. When you create a branch, all Git is doing is creating a new pointer.
We can create a local branch by following these steps:
- Navigate to the root of the master branch: cd repository-name
- You can create a branch from a master branch with the following command: git branch new-branch-name
Or you can create a new branch and change it:
git checkout -b new-branch-name
You can also clone a branch and then move to it:
git checkout -b new-branch-name origin/new-branch-name
- Move to your new branch: git checkout new-branch-name
- Finally, check that you are on the new branch: git status
How to remove a local Git branch?
To remove a local branch, you can use any of the following Git commands:
git branch -d branch_name git branch -D branch_name
The option -d (–delete) will remove the local branch if it has already been restarted and merged with the remote branches.
The option -D (–delete –force) will remove the local branch regardless of whether it has been restarted and merged with the remote branches or not.
How to remove a remote Git branch?
You can also remove a remote branch by specifying both the remote name and the branch. In most cases, the remote name is originand the command will look like this:
git push remote_name –delete branch_name git push remote_name :branch_name
Inspection and comparison
In Git, you can see any changes you’ve made at any time. To see these changes, enter the following command:
gitlog
Or, for a more detailed summary:
git log –summary
What are Git Branches?
git is a distributed version control system (DVCS) where all members of a team have a complete version of a project. It is specifically designed with performance, security, and flexibility in mind when it comes to project management.
Branches are an isolated line of development of your project. They are a way to work together with your master branch, but without any code that is not completely ready. Branches help clean up messy history before merging.
Git branching helps you create, remove, and list other branches. However, a branch also acts as a pointer to a snapshot of the changes you have made, or want to make, to the project files. It is useful in situations where you want to add an additional feature or fix a bug within the project.
A branch not only encapsulates changes, but also makes sure that unstable code doesn’t get merged with the main project files. Once you’re done updating the code in a branch, you can merge the working branch into the master branch.
What is a Git repository?
A repository acts like a folder for your project: it contains all your files and stores your revision history. Repositories can be private or public, and you can also share them with other people in your organization.
When you start a Git repository, a directory is created .git/ at the root of the project folder. This is where Git tracks changes to project files, stores objects, references, and more information to manage repositories.
Be careful not to delete the folder .git/unless it is done deliberately because it will delete all the history of your project.
How to clone a remote repository?
To clone a repository, use the clone option of the Git command. Additionally, you will need to specify the URL of the repository. Let’s see the steps to follow:
- You can clone the master branch from the remote repository using HTTPS either SSH.
For HTTPS:git clone https://github.com/user_name/your_apps.git
For SSH:
git clone ssh://github.com/user-name/your-repository-name.git
- To navigate to the root of the cloned repository you can use the command CD: cd your_apps
- Checking the branch status can be easily done with the following Git command: git status
Additional information about Git
If you need information on how to use Git, it is available online. Also, check out our article on , how to use PuTTY SSH terminal for or a VPS server, how to get on Ubuntu and one on GitHub.
conclusion
Now you know how to manage Git branches using different commands: you can rename a branch, create one, list existing ones, and delete them as well.
We hope this tutorial has been useful to you. See you at the next one.
Deyi is a digital marketing enthusiast, with a background in web design, content creation, copywriting, and SEO. She is part of ‘s SEO & Localization team. In her free time, she likes to develop projects, read a book or watch a good movie.
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