Introduction

• git checkout command is used in Git to switch between different branches or to restore files in your working directory.
• It allows you to move from one branch to another so you can work on different features, fixes, or versions of the project.
• By using git checkout, you can:
  • Switch to an existing branch and update your working directory to match its state.
  • Create a new branch and immediately switch to it (using git checkout -b branch-name).
  • Restore a specific file or commit if needed.

How to use git checkout ?

1. Open the Git terminal (or command prompt) and navigate to the project folder where your Git repository is initialized.
2. Switching to an Existing Branch:
   • In previous tutorial we have already created a new branch named feature-1 and now you want to switch to it from the current branch (e.g., main).
   • Use the following command:
     • git checkout feature-1
     • This command will switch your working directory to the feature-1 branch, allowing you to work on it independently.
3. Verify the Branch Switch:
   • You can confirm whether the branch switch was successful by running:
     • git branch
     • This will list all the branches in your repository, and the currently active branch will be marked with an asterisk *.
   • Below is the example of how it looks like:
4. (Optional) Create and Switch in One Step:
   • If the branch does not exist and you want to create and switch to it in a single command, use:
     • git checkout -b new-feature
   • This creates a new branch called new-feature and immediately checks it out, so you can start working on it right away.

Different ways to use git checkout ?

1. Switch to an Existing Branch::
   • Syntax :
     • git checkout <branch-name>
   • Example :
     • git checkout feature-1
   • Use case: Moves your working directory to the specified branch so you can start working on it.
2. Create and Switch to a New Branch:
   • Syntax:
     • git checkout -b <new-branch-name>
   • Example:
     • git checkout -b login-feature
   • Use case: Creates a new branch from the current HEAD and immediately switches to it.
3. Switch to a Specific Commit (Detached HEAD state):
   • Syntax :
     • git checkout <commit-id>
   • Example:
     • git checkout 3e2f1b7
   • Use case: Temporarily view or work with a previous commit. Useful for testing or debugging, but not meant for regular development.
4. Restore a Specific File from Another Branch:
   • Syntax :
     • git checkout <branch-name> -- <file-path>
   • Example :
     • git checkout main -- index.html
   • Use case: Replaces your current working copy of the file with the version from another branch (like main). Helpful for undoing changes to a file or fetching it from another branch without switching.

Introduction

• git switch command is used to switch between branches in a more focused and user-friendly way compared to git checkout.
• It was introduced to reduce confusion and make branch operations clearer, especially for beginners.
• By using git switch, you can:
  • Move to an existing branch without affecting files.
  • Create and switch to a new branch using git switch -c branch-name.
  • Avoid accidentally overwriting files (which sometimes happened with git checkout).

How to use git switch ?

1. Open the Git terminal (or command prompt) and navigate to the project folder where your Git repository is initialized.
2. Switching to an Existing Branch:
   • In the previous tutorial, we have already created a new branch named feature-1, and now you want to switch to it from the current branch (e.g., main).
   • Use the following command:
     • git switch feature-1
     • This command will switch your working directory to the feature-1 branch, allowing you to work on it independently and safely.
3. Verify the Branch Switch:
   • You can confirm whether the branch switch was successful by running:
     • git branch
     • This will list all the branches in your repository, and the currently active branch will be marked with an asterisk *.
   • Below is the example of how it looks like:
4. (Optional) Create and Switch to a New Branch in One Step:
   • If the branch doesn't already exist and you want to create and switch to it in a single step, use the following:
     • git switch -c new-feature
   • This creates a new branch called new-feature and immediately switches to it.

Different ways to use git switch ?

1. Switch to an Existing Branch:
   • Syntax :
     • git switch <branch-name>
   • Example :
     • git switch feature-1
   • Use case: Switches to the specified existing branch without affecting your working directory if there are no conflicting changes.
2. Create and Switch to a New Branch (from current HEAD):
   • Syntax:
     • git switch -c <new-branch-name>
   • Example:
     • git switch -c login-feature
   • Use case: Creates a new branch and immediately switches to it. Useful for starting work on a new feature or task.
3. Create and Switch to a New Branch from Specific Commit:
   • Syntax :
     • git switch -c <new-branch-name> <commit-id>
   • Example:
     • git switch -c debug-fix 3e2f1b7
   • Use case: Creates a new branch starting from a specific commit and switches to it immediately. Handy for patching or reviewing older versions of your project.