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Understanding Branches: Git's Superpower

Branches are what make Git powerful. They let you work on multiple things at once. They let you experiment safely. They're essential.

🎯 The Big Picture​

Think of branches like this: If commits are snapshots in time, branches are different timelines you can switch between.

You can work on a feature in one branch. Fix a bug in another. Experiment in a third. All without affecting each other.

That's the power of branches.

What Is a Branch?​

A branch is:

  • A movable pointer to a commit
  • An independent line of development
  • A way to work on features without affecting main code
  • A timeline you can switch between
# See current branch
git branch

# Output:
# * main
#   feature/auth

The * shows your current branch.

Why Branches Matter​

Branches let you:

  • Work on features independently - Without affecting main code
  • Experiment safely - Try things without risk
  • Collaborate easily - Multiple people work on different features
  • Organize work - Features, fixes, experiments in separate branches

Branches are the foundation of modern development workflows.

Creating Branches​

Create and Switch​

# Create and switch to new branch
git checkout -b feature/new-feature

# Or use newer command
git switch -c feature/new-feature

Create Without Switching​

# Create branch but stay on current
git branch feature/new-feature

# Switch to it later
git checkout feature/new-feature

Switching Branches​

# Switch to existing branch
git checkout branch-name

# Or use newer command
git switch branch-name

# Switch and create if doesn't exist
git checkout -b new-branch

Important: Git won't let you switch if you have uncommitted changes (unless they don't conflict).

Branch Best Practices​

Naming Conventions​

# Feature branches
git checkout -b feature/user-authentication

# Bug fix branches
git checkout -b fix/memory-leak

# Hotfix branches
git checkout -b hotfix/security-patch

# Experiment branches
git checkout -b experiment/new-approach

Keep Branches Focused​

# Good: One feature per branch
git checkout -b feature/login
# ... work on login only ...

# Bad: Multiple features in one branch
git checkout -b feature/everything
# ... login, payment, search all in one ...

My Take: Branches Are Freedom​

I used to work only on main. I'd be scared to break things. I'd avoid experimenting.

Then I learned branches. Now I create branches for everything:

  • New feature? New branch.
  • Bug fix? New branch.
  • Experiment? New branch.

Branches give you freedom to try things. Use them.

Key Takeaways​

  1. Branches are independent timelines - Switch between them freely
  2. Create branches for features - Keep work organized
  3. Use naming conventions - Makes branches easy to understand
  4. Keep branches focused - One feature per branch
  5. Branches are safety - Experiment without risk

Hands-On: Create and Use Branches​

Let's create a branch and see it in action:

# Create a feature branch
git checkout -b feature/new-feature

# Make a change
echo "New feature code" > feature.js
git add feature.js
git commit -m "Add new feature"

# Switch back to main
git checkout main

# Feature file doesn't exist here!
ls -la

# Switch back to feature branch
git checkout feature/new-feature

# Feature file is back
ls -la

What you're seeing:

  • Branches are separate workspaces
  • Changes on one branch don't affect others
  • You can switch between them freely

Try it:

  1. Create a branch using the commands above
  2. Make changes on the branch
  3. Switch branches and observe how files change
  4. Use git branch to see all branches

Create a screenshot: Capture your terminal showing branch creation, switching, and git branch output.

What's Next?​

Now that you understand branches, let's learn about merging. Next: Merging Branches.

Remember: Branches are your safety net. Use them liberally.