GitHub offers a helpful guide by GitHub on creating and working with git branches, aimed at beginners who want to safely experiment and manage their code.

How to Use Git Branches for Beginners

Branches are an essential feature of Git that help developers keep their main codebase stable while experimenting or building new features. This guide from GitHub covers the basics for beginners:

Why Use Branches?

  • Protect the stability of your main code (usually main or master branch)
  • Safely experiment with new features or fixes
  • Collaborate with teammates on isolated changes

Creating and Switching Branches

To create and switch to a new branch in one command, use:

git checkout -b branch-name

This will:

  • Create a new branch called branch-name
  • Switch your working directory to that branch

Viewing Branches

See a list of all your branches with:

git branch
  • The branch with an asterisk * is your current active branch
  • Use this to keep track of where you are and avoid confusion

Additional Resources

Want to keep improving your Git and GitHub skills?

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