Branches: Create, Switch, and List

What Is a Branch?

A branch is a lightweight, movable pointer to a commit. Creating a branch costs almost nothing — it is just a 41-byte file. Branches let you diverge from main, develop a feature in isolation, and merge back when it is ready.

Working with Branches

git branch                       # list local branches
git branch -a                    # list local and remote branches
git branch feature/login         # create a new branch
git switch feature/login         # switch to it
git switch -c feature/login      # create AND switch in one step
git branch -d feature/login      # delete a merged branch
git branch -D feature/login      # force-delete an unmerged branch

The git switch command replaced the older git checkout for branch operations in recent Git versions. Both work, but switch is clearer in intent.

CPCODELAB Branch Naming Conventions

• feature/<short-description> — new features
• fix/<short-description> — bug fixes
• chore/<short-description> — tooling or maintenance
• docs/<short-description> — documentation updates