Creating a new Branch
This Post is part of a series about Git, Git concepts, commands and usage patterns to remind me and to help me learn. The first post of the series is Git - A New Years Resolution.
When a new branch is created a new pointer is created that you can move around. For example, create a branch called testing branching from the tip of the master branch:
$ git checkout master
Switched to branch 'master'
$ git branch testingThis creates a new pointer to the same commit you’re currently on (in this case the tip of master).
Two branches pointing into the same series of commits.
How does Git know what branch you’re currently on? It keeps a special pointer called HEAD. In Git, HEAD is a pointer to the tip of the local branch you’re currently on. In the above, you’re still on master as the git branch command only created a new branch; it didn’t switch to that branch.
Last modified on 2018-01-11