# git-new-branch(1) Manual Page

## NAME

git-new-branch - Create a new branch with correct tracking information.

## SYNOPSIS

    git new-branch <branch_name>
    git new-branch --upstream_current <branch_name>
    git new-branch --upstream <REF> <branch_name>
    git new-branch --lkgr <branch_name>

## DESCRIPTION

Creates a new branch. By default the new branch will track the configured upstream for the repo (defaults to origin/master). If one of the other options is specified, it will track that other ref instead.

Conceptually, each branch in your repo represents one Change List (CL). If you have many independent CLs (i.e. the changes in one do not interact with/depend on the changes in another), then you should create them as new branches tracking the default upstream (i.e. `git new-branch <branch_name>`). If you have features which depend on each other, you should create stacked branches using `git new-branch --upstream_current <branch_name>`.

## OPTIONS

--upstream_current

  Set the tracking (upstream) branch to the currently-checked-out branch.

--uptstream <REF>

  Set the tracking (upstream) branch to <REF>. <REF> may be a local branch, remote branch, or a tag.

--lkgr

  Alias for `--upstream lkgr`.

<branch_name>

  The name for the new branch.

## CONFIGURATION VARIABLES

### depot-tools.upstream

This configures the default upstream for all new branches. If it is unset, it defaults to origin/master. This is considered to be the root branch.

## EXAMPLE

    $ git map-branches
    origin/master
      cool_feature
        subfeature
      fixit
        frozen_branch *
    $ git new-branch independent_cl
    $ git map-branches
    origin/master
      cool_feature
        subfeature
      fixit
        frozen_branch
      independent_cl *
    $ git new-branch --upstream subfeature nested_cl
    $ git map-branches
    origin/master
      cool_feature
        subfeature <1>
          nested_cl *
      fixit
        frozen_branch
      independent_cl
    $ git checkout cool_feature
    Switched to branch 'cool_feature'
    Your branch is ahead of 'origin/master' by 4 commits.
      (use "git push" to publish your local commits)
    $ git new-branch --upstream_current cl_depends_on_cool_feature
    $ git map-branches
    origin/master
      cool_feature
        cl_depends_on_cool_feature *
        subfeature
          nested_cl
      fixit
        frozen_branch
      independent_cl

1. Note that both branches are cyan because they are currently the same commit object. See git-map-branches(1) for more detail.

## SUGGESTED ALIASES

Some common short-hand aliases. Feel free to add these to your ~/.gitconfig file.

    [alias]
      git nb = new-branch
      git tb = new-branch --upstream_current  <1>

1. mnemonic: tb → "track branch"

## SEE ALSO

git-rebase-update(1), git-reparent-branch(1), git-rename-branch(1), git-upstream-diff(1)

## CHROMIUM DEPOT_TOOLS

Part of the chromium depot_tools(7) suite. These tools are meant to assist with the development of chromium and related projects. Download the tools from here.