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| Managing branches in GitHub Desktop | Managing branches | You can use {% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %} to create a new branch off of an existing branch in your repository so you can safely experiment with changes. |
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About managing branches
You can use branches to safely experiment with changes to your project. Branches isolate your development work from other branches in the repository. For example, you could use a branch to develop a new feature or fix a bug.
You always create a branch from an existing branch. Typically, you might create a branch from the default branch of your repository. You can then work on this new branch in isolation from changes that other people are making to the repository.
You can also create a branch starting from a previous commit in a branch's history. This can be helpful if you need to return to an earlier view of the repository to investigate a bug, or to create a hot fix on top of your latest release.
Once you're satisfied with your work, you can create a pull request to merge your changes in the current branch into another branch. For more information, see "AUTOTITLE" and "AUTOTITLE."
You can always create a branch in {% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %} if you have read access to a repository, but you can only push the branch to {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %} if you have write access to the repository.
{% data reusables.desktop.protected-branches %}
{% ifversion repo-rules %}
Repository administrators can also enable rulesets. Rulesets can be used to require specific branch names when creating a new branch, or to allow only users with bypass permissions to publish a new branch to the remote repository. {% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %} will show a warning and prevent the branch from being created if the branch does not follow the rulesets. For more information, see "AUTOTITLE."
{% endif %}
Creating a branch
[!TIP] The first new branch you create will be based on the default branch. If you have more than one branch, you can choose to base the new branch on the currently checked out branch or the default branch.
{% data reusables.desktop.click-base-branch-in-drop-down %} {% data reusables.desktop.create-new-branch %}
{% data reusables.desktop.name-branch %} {% data reusables.desktop.select-base-branch %} {% data reusables.desktop.confirm-new-branch-button %}
Creating a branch from a previous commit
{% data reusables.desktop.history-tab %}
-
Right-click on the commit you would like to create a new branch from and select Create Branch from Commit.
{% data reusables.desktop.name-branch %} {% data reusables.desktop.confirm-new-branch-button %}
Publishing a branch
If you create a branch on {% data variables.product.product_name %}, you'll need to publish the branch to make it available for collaboration on {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %}.
- In the repository bar, click {% octicon "git-branch" aria-hidden="true" %} Current Branch, then click the branch that you want to publish.
- Click Publish branch.
Switching between branches
You can view and make commits to any of your repository's branches. If you have uncommitted, saved changes, you'll need to decide what to do with your changes before you can switch branches. You can commit your changes on the current branch, stash your changes to temporarily save them on the current branch, or bring the changes to your new branch. If you want to commit your changes before switching branches, see "AUTOTITLE."
[!TIP] You can set a default behavior for switching branches in the Prompts settings. For more information, see "AUTOTITLE."
- In the repository bar, click {% octicon "git-branch" aria-hidden="true" %} Current Branch, then click the branch that you want to switch to.
- If you have saved, uncommitted changes, in the "Switch Branch" window, select Leave my changes on CURRENT-BRANCH or Bring my changes to NEW-BRANCH, then click Switch Branch.
Deleting a branch
You can't delete a branch if it's currently associated with an open pull request. You cannot undo deleting a branch.
{% mac %}
{% data reusables.desktop.select-branch-to-delete %}
{% data reusables.desktop.delete-branch-mac %}
{% endmac %}
{% windows %}
{% data reusables.desktop.select-branch-to-delete %}
{% data reusables.desktop.delete-branch-win %}
{% endwindows %}
Further reading
- "AUTOTITLE"
- "AUTOTITLE" in the {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %} glossary
- "AUTOTITLE"
- "Branches in a Nutshell" in the Git documentation
- "AUTOTITLE"