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Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/git-checkout.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | Documentation/git-checkout.txt | 93 |
1 files changed, 56 insertions, 37 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/git-checkout.txt b/Documentation/git-checkout.txt index 4505eb6d84..261dd90c38 100644 --- a/Documentation/git-checkout.txt +++ b/Documentation/git-checkout.txt @@ -15,33 +15,41 @@ SYNOPSIS DESCRIPTION ----------- - -When <paths> are not given, this command switches branches by -updating the index, working tree, and HEAD to reflect the specified +Updates files in the working tree to match the version in the index +or the specified tree. If no paths are given, 'git checkout' will +also update `HEAD` to set the specified branch as the current branch. -If `-b` is given, a new branch is created and checked out, as if -linkgit:git-branch[1] were called; in this case you can -use the --track or --no-track options, which will be passed to `git -branch`. As a convenience, --track without `-b` implies branch -creation; see the description of --track below. - -When <paths> or --patch are given, this command does *not* switch -branches. It updates the named paths in the working tree from -the index file, or from a named <tree-ish> (most often a commit). In -this case, the `-b` and `--track` options are meaningless and giving -either of them results in an error. The <tree-ish> argument can be -used to specify a specific tree-ish (i.e. commit, tag or tree) -to update the index for the given paths before updating the -working tree. - -The index may contain unmerged entries after a failed merge. By -default, if you try to check out such an entry from the index, the +'git checkout' [<branch>]:: +'git checkout' -b <new branch> [<start point>]:: + + This form switches branches by updating the index, working + tree, and HEAD to reflect the specified branch. ++ +If `-b` is given, a new branch is created as if linkgit:git-branch[1] +were called and then checked out; in this case you can +use the `--track` or `--no-track` options, which will be passed to +'git branch'. As a convenience, `--track` without `-b` implies branch +creation; see the description of `--track` below. + +'git checkout' [--patch] [<tree-ish>] [--] <pathspec>...:: + + When <paths> or `--patch` are given, 'git checkout' *not* switch + branches. It updates the named paths in the working tree from + the index file or from a named <tree-ish> (most often a commit). In + this case, the `-b` and `--track` options are meaningless and giving + either of them results in an error. The <tree-ish> argument can be + used to specify a specific tree-ish (i.e. commit, tag or tree) + to update the index for the given paths before updating the + working tree. ++ +The index may contain unmerged entries because of a previous failed merge. +By default, if you try to check out such an entry from the index, the checkout operation will fail and nothing will be checked out. -Using -f will ignore these unmerged entries. The contents from a +Using `-f` will ignore these unmerged entries. The contents from a specific side of the merge can be checked out of the index by -using --ours or --theirs. With -m, changes made to the working tree -file can be discarded to recreate the original conflicted merge result. +using `--ours` or `--theirs`. With `-m`, changes made to the working tree +file can be discarded to re-create the original conflicted merge result. OPTIONS ------- @@ -91,22 +99,29 @@ explicitly give a name with '-b' in such a case. details. --orphan:: - Create a new branch named <new_branch>, unparented to any other - branch. The new branch you switch to does not have any commit - and after the first one it will become the root of a new history - completely unconnected from all the other branches. + Create a new 'orphan' branch, named <new_branch>, started from + <start_point> and switch to it. The first commit made on this + new branch will have no parents and it will be the root of a new + history totally disconnected from all the other branches and + commits. ++ +The index and the working tree are adjusted as if you had previously run +"git checkout <start_point>". This allows you to start a new history +that records a set of paths similar to <start_point> by easily running +"git commit -a" to make the root commit. + -When you use "--orphan", the index and the working tree are kept intact. -This allows you to start a new history that records set of paths similar -to that of the start-point commit, which is useful when you want to keep -different branches for different audiences you are working to like when -you have an open source and commercial versions of a software, for example. +This can be useful when you want to publish the tree from a commit +without exposing its full history. You might want to do this to publish +an open source branch of a project whose current tree is "clean", but +whose full history contains proprietary or otherwise encumbered bits of +code. + -If you want to start a disconnected history that records set of paths -totally different from the original branch, you may want to first clear -the index and the working tree, by running "git rm -rf ." from the -top-level of the working tree, before preparing your files (by copying -from elsewhere, extracting a tarball, etc.) in the working tree. +If you want to start a disconnected history that records a set of paths +that is totally different from the one of <start_point>, then you should +clear the index and the working tree right after creating the orphan +branch by running "git rm -rf ." from the top level of the working tree. +Afterwards you will be ready to prepare your new files, repopulating the +working tree, by copying them from elsewhere, extracting a tarball, etc. -m:: --merge:: @@ -154,6 +169,10 @@ edits from your current working tree. As a special case, the `"@\{-N\}"` syntax for the N-th last branch checks out the branch (instead of detaching). You may also specify `-` which is synonymous with `"@\{-1\}"`. ++ +As a further special case, you may use `"A...B"` as a shortcut for the +merge base of `A` and `B` if there is exactly one merge base. You can +leave out at most one of `A` and `B`, in which case it defaults to `HEAD`. <new_branch>:: Name for the new branch. |