Branches are fundamental to Git’s power, letting you work on different features or fixes simultaneously. Switching between branches efficiently is key to a smooth workflow.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to switch to another branch in Git quickly and safely.
🛠️ The Basic Command: git checkout
To switch to an existing branch:
git checkout branch-name
Example:
git checkout feature/login
This command changes your working directory to the specified branch.
⚡ Newer Alternative: git switch
Git introduced the git switch command for branch switching, which is more intuitive:
git switch branch-name
Example:
git switch develop
🚀 Create and Switch to a New Branch in One Step
To create a new branch and switch to it immediately:
- Using
checkout:
git checkout -b new-branch
- Using
switch:
git switch -c new-branch
🔄 Check Current Branch
To see which branch you are on:
git branch
The current branch will be highlighted with an asterisk *.
⚠️ Things to Keep in Mind
- Commit or stash your changes before switching branches to avoid conflicts.
- If you have uncommitted changes, Git may prevent the switch or carry over the changes to the new branch.
🧠 Summary of Commands
| Task | Command |
|---|---|
| Switch to an existing branch | git checkout branch-name or git switch branch-name |
| Create and switch to new branch | git checkout -b new-branch or git switch -c new-branch |
| Check current branch | git branch |
🏁 Conclusion
Switching branches is an everyday Git operation. Whether you use git checkout or the newer git switch, mastering branch navigation keeps your development organized and efficient.
