From: "Julia Evans via GitGitGadget" <gitgitgadget@gmail•com>
To: git@vger•kernel.org
Cc: "D. Ben Knoble" <ben.knoble@gmail•com>,
Julia Evans <julia@jvns•ca>, Julia Evans <julia@jvns•ca>
Subject: [PATCH v4 4/7] doc: git-checkout: clarify `-b` and `-B`
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2025 19:14:26 +0000 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <e636475cba2246ea98e461579a25b41b0ef4e99d.1757531669.git.gitgitgadget@gmail.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <pull.1962.v4.git.1757531669.gitgitgadget@gmail.com>
From: Julia Evans <julia@jvns•ca>
From user feedback: several users reported having trouble understanding
the difference between `-b` and `-B` ("I think it's because my brain
expects it to contrast with `-b`, but instead it starts off explaining
how they're the same").
Also, in `-B`, 2 users can't tell what the branch is reset *to*.
Simplify the sentence structure in the explanations of `-b` and `-B` and
add a little extra information (what `<start-point>` is, what the branch
is reset to).
Splitting up `-b` and `-B` into separate items helps simplify the
sentence structure since there's less "In this case...".
Replace the long "the branch is not reset/created unless "git checkout"
is successful..." with just "will fail", since we should generally
assume that Git will fail operations in a clean way and not leave
operations half-finished, and that cases where it does not fail cleanly
are the exceptions that the documentation should flag.
Signed-off-by: Julia Evans <julia@jvns•ca>
---
Documentation/git-checkout.adoc | 44 ++++++++++++++-------------------
1 file changed, 18 insertions(+), 26 deletions(-)
diff --git a/Documentation/git-checkout.adoc b/Documentation/git-checkout.adoc
index 0db32b098e..7ae2ae9483 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-checkout.adoc
+++ b/Documentation/git-checkout.adoc
@@ -47,27 +47,21 @@ $ git checkout -b <branch> --track <remote>/<branch>
Running `git checkout` without specifying a branch has no effect except
to print out the tracking information for the current branch.
-`git checkout (-b|-B) <new-branch> [<start-point>]`::
-
- Specifying `-b` causes a new branch to be 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.
-+
-If `-B` is given, _<new-branch>_ is created if it doesn't exist; otherwise, it
-is reset. This is the transactional equivalent of
-+
-------------
-$ git branch -f <branch> [<start-point>]
-$ git checkout <branch>
-------------
+`git checkout -b <new-branch> [<start-point>]`::
+
+ Create a new branch named _<new-branch>_, start it at _<start-point>_
+ (defaults to the current commit), and check out the new branch.
+ You can use the `--track` or `--no-track` options to set the branch's
+ upstream tracking information.
+
-that is to say, the branch is not reset/created unless "git checkout" is
-successful (e.g., when the branch is in use in another worktree, not
-just the current branch stays the same, but the branch is not reset to
-the start-point, either).
+This will fail if there's an error checking out _<new-branch>_, for
+example if checking out the `<start-point>` commit would overwrite your
+uncommitted changes.
+
+`git checkout -B <branch> [<start-point>]`::
+
+ The same as `-b`, except that if the branch already exists it
+ resets `_<branch>_` to the start point instead of failing.
`git checkout --detach [<branch>]`::
`git checkout [--detach] <commit>`::
@@ -157,16 +151,14 @@ of it").
see linkgit:git-branch[1] for details.
`-B <new-branch>`::
- Creates the branch _<new-branch>_, start it at _<start-point>_;
- if it already exists, then reset it to _<start-point>_. And then
- check the resulting branch out. This is equivalent to running
- `git branch` with `-f` followed by `git checkout` of that branch;
- see linkgit:git-branch[1] for details.
+ The same as `-b`, except that if the branch already exists it
+ resets `_<branch>_` to the start point instead of failing.
`-t`::
`--track[=(direct|inherit)]`::
When creating a new branch, set up "upstream" configuration. See
- `--track` in linkgit:git-branch[1] for details.
+ `--track` in linkgit:git-branch[1] for details. As a convenience,
+ --track without -b implies branch creation.
+
If no `-b` option is given, the name of the new branch will be
derived from the remote-tracking branch, by looking at the local part of
--
gitgitgadget
next prev parent reply other threads:[~2025-09-10 19:14 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 68+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2025-08-25 19:08 [PATCH 0/5] doc: git-checkout: clarify DESCRIPTION section Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
2025-08-25 19:08 ` [PATCH 1/5] doc: git-checkout: clarify intro Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
2025-08-26 18:46 ` Junio C Hamano
2025-08-26 18:51 ` Junio C Hamano
2025-08-26 20:56 ` Julia Evans
2025-08-28 14:00 ` D. Ben Knoble
2025-08-28 22:34 ` Julia Evans
2025-08-28 23:44 ` Junio C Hamano
2025-08-29 13:39 ` D. Ben Knoble
2025-08-29 21:00 ` Junio C Hamano
2025-09-03 23:48 ` D. Ben Knoble
2025-08-25 19:08 ` [PATCH 2/5] doc: git-checkout: clarify `git checkout <branch>` Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
2025-08-26 21:38 ` Junio C Hamano
2025-08-28 12:11 ` Julia Evans
2025-08-28 15:45 ` Junio C Hamano
2025-08-28 18:24 ` Julia Evans
2025-08-25 19:08 ` [PATCH 3/5] doc: git-checkout: don't use "reset" Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
2025-08-25 19:08 ` [PATCH 4/5] doc: git-checkout: deduplicate --detach explanation Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
2025-08-25 19:08 ` [PATCH 5/5] doc: git-checkout: clarify restoring files section Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
2025-08-26 22:43 ` Junio C Hamano
2025-08-28 13:26 ` Julia Evans
2025-08-28 19:08 ` D. Ben Knoble
2025-08-28 19:59 ` Julia Evans
2025-08-28 20:38 ` Junio C Hamano
2025-08-29 13:48 ` D. Ben Knoble
2025-08-29 11:45 ` [PATCH v2 0/5] doc: git-checkout: clarify DESCRIPTION section Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
2025-08-29 11:45 ` [PATCH v2 1/5] doc: git-checkout: clarify intro Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
2025-08-29 15:58 ` Junio C Hamano
2025-09-02 17:14 ` Julia Evans
2025-08-29 11:45 ` [PATCH v2 2/5] doc: git-checkout: clarify `git checkout <branch>` Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
2025-08-29 16:03 ` Junio C Hamano
2025-09-02 17:16 ` Julia Evans
2025-08-29 11:45 ` [PATCH v2 3/5] doc: git-checkout: don't use "reset" Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
2025-08-29 16:22 ` Junio C Hamano
2025-09-01 14:28 ` Julia Evans
2025-09-02 16:10 ` Junio C Hamano
2025-08-29 11:45 ` [PATCH v2 4/5] doc: git-checkout: deduplicate --detach explanation Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
2025-08-29 11:45 ` [PATCH v2 5/5] doc: git-checkout: clarify restoring files section Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
2025-09-03 16:49 ` [PATCH v3 0/6] doc: git-checkout: clarify DESCRIPTION section Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
2025-09-03 16:49 ` [PATCH v3 1/6] doc: git-checkout: clarify intro Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
2025-09-03 16:49 ` [PATCH v3 2/6] doc: git-checkout: clarify `git checkout <branch>` Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
2025-09-03 16:49 ` [PATCH v3 3/6] doc: git-checkout: clarify `-b` and `-B` Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
2025-09-03 16:50 ` [PATCH v3 4/6] doc: git-checkout: deduplicate --detach explanation Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
2025-09-03 16:50 ` [PATCH v3 5/6] doc: git-checkout: split up restoring files section Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
2025-09-03 16:50 ` [PATCH v3 6/6] doc: git-checkout: clarify " Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
2025-09-03 21:29 ` Junio C Hamano
2025-09-03 21:09 ` [PATCH v3 0/6] doc: git-checkout: clarify DESCRIPTION section Junio C Hamano
2025-09-03 21:28 ` Julia Evans
2025-09-10 19:14 ` [PATCH v4 0/7] " Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
2025-09-10 19:14 ` [PATCH v4 1/7] doc: git-checkout: clarify intro sentence Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
2025-09-10 19:14 ` [PATCH v4 2/7] doc: git-checkout: clarify ARGUMENT DISAMBIGUATION Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
2025-09-10 19:14 ` [PATCH v4 3/7] doc: git-checkout: clarify `git checkout <branch>` Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
2025-09-10 19:14 ` Julia Evans via GitGitGadget [this message]
2025-09-29 18:07 ` [PATCH v4 4/7] doc: git-checkout: clarify `-b` and `-B` Kristoffer Haugsbakk
2025-10-02 18:37 ` [PATCH] doc: git-checkout: fix placeholder markup kristofferhaugsbakk
2025-10-16 22:11 ` [PATCH resend] " kristofferhaugsbakk
2025-10-17 13:56 ` Julia Evans
2025-10-17 15:50 ` [PATCH v2] " kristofferhaugsbakk
2025-09-10 19:14 ` [PATCH v4 5/7] doc: git-checkout: deduplicate --detach explanation Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
2025-09-10 19:14 ` [PATCH v4 6/7] doc: git-checkout: split up restoring files section Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
2025-09-10 19:14 ` [PATCH v4 7/7] doc: git-checkout: clarify " Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
2025-09-11 13:01 ` [PATCH v4 0/7] doc: git-checkout: clarify DESCRIPTION section Ben Knoble
2025-09-12 14:05 ` Julia Evans
2025-09-12 14:26 ` Kristoffer Haugsbakk
2025-09-15 23:22 ` Junio C Hamano
2025-09-16 6:41 ` Kristoffer Haugsbakk
2025-09-12 16:23 ` Junio C Hamano
2025-09-17 18:38 ` Junio C Hamano
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