How to exit the merged branches display in Git

Introduction

Git is a powerful version control system that helps developers manage their code effectively. One common task in Git is managing branches, which can sometimes lead to a cluttered branch display. This tutorial will guide you through the process of exiting the merged branches display in Git, allowing you to maintain a clean and organized repository.

Skills Graph

%%%%{init: {'theme':'neutral'}}%%%% flowchart RL git(("`Git`")) -.-> git/BranchManagementGroup(["`Branch Management`"]) git/BranchManagementGroup -.-> git/branch("`Handle Branches`") git/BranchManagementGroup -.-> git/checkout("`Switch Branches`") git/BranchManagementGroup -.-> git/merge("`Merge Histories`") git/BranchManagementGroup -.-> git/log("`Show Commits`") git/BranchManagementGroup -.-> git/reflog("`Log Ref Changes`") subgraph Lab Skills git/branch -.-> lab-415744{{"`How to exit the merged branches display in Git`"}} git/checkout -.-> lab-415744{{"`How to exit the merged branches display in Git`"}} git/merge -.-> lab-415744{{"`How to exit the merged branches display in Git`"}} git/log -.-> lab-415744{{"`How to exit the merged branches display in Git`"}} git/reflog -.-> lab-415744{{"`How to exit the merged branches display in Git`"}} end

Understanding Git Branches

Git is a distributed version control system that allows developers to manage and track changes in their codebase. One of the core concepts in Git is the branch, which is a separate line of development that diverges from the main codebase. Branches are essential for collaborative development, feature experimentation, and maintaining different versions of a project.

What are Git Branches?

Git branches are lightweight, independent lines of development that allow developers to work on different features or bug fixes simultaneously without interfering with the main codebase. Each branch has its own commit history, and changes made in one branch do not affect the other branches.

Branching Workflow

The typical Git branching workflow involves creating a new branch for each feature or bug fix, working on the changes in the new branch, and then merging the branch back into the main branch (often called main or master) when the work is complete. This workflow allows for parallel development, easier code review, and better management of project history.

graph LR main --> feature1 feature1 --> main main --> feature2 feature2 --> main

Switching Between Branches

Developers can switch between branches using the git checkout command. This command allows you to move your working directory to a specific branch, enabling you to work on different parts of the project without affecting the other branches.

## Switch to the 'main' branch
git checkout main

## Create a new branch 'feature-x' and switch to it
git checkout -b feature-x

Merging Branches

When a feature or bug fix is complete, the branch can be merged back into the main branch using the git merge command. This command combines the changes from the feature branch with the main branch, resolving any conflicts that may arise.

## Switch to the 'main' branch
git checkout main

## Merge the 'feature-x' branch into 'main'
git merge feature-x

By understanding the basics of Git branches, developers can effectively manage their codebase, collaborate with team members, and maintain different versions of their project.

Exiting the Merged Branches Display

After merging branches, Git will display a list of merged branches by default. However, in some cases, you may want to hide this information and only see the active branches. This can be achieved by customizing the Git branch display.

Hiding Merged Branches

To hide the merged branches display, you can use the git branch --no-merged command. This command will only show the branches that have not been merged into the current branch.

## Show all branches, including merged branches
git branch --all

## Show only the branches that have not been merged
git branch --no-merged

Configuring the Branch Display

You can also configure Git to permanently hide the merged branches display by setting the branch.autoSetupMerge configuration option to false. This will prevent Git from automatically displaying the merged branches.

## Set the branch.autoSetupMerge option to false
git config --global branch.autoSetupMerge false

After setting this configuration, when you run the git branch command, it will only show the active branches, and the merged branches will be hidden.

Viewing Merged Branches

If you still need to view the merged branches, you can use the git branch --merged command. This command will show all the branches that have been merged into the current branch.

## Show all the branches that have been merged into the current branch
git branch --merged

By understanding how to exit the merged branches display, you can keep your Git branch view clean and focused on the active development branches, making it easier to manage your project's codebase.

Customizing Git Branch Visibility

In addition to hiding the merged branches display, Git provides various options to customize the visibility of branches in your repository. This can be useful for managing large codebases with many branches or for focusing on specific branches during development.

Hiding Specific Branches

You can hide specific branches from the branch list by using the git config command to set the branch.*.hideIfMerged option. This option allows you to specify which branches should be hidden if they have been merged into another branch.

## Hide the 'feature-x' branch if it has been merged
git config --global branch.feature-x.hideIfMerged true

After setting this configuration, the feature-x branch will be hidden from the branch list unless it has not been merged.

Showing Only Relevant Branches

Sometimes, you may want to see only the branches that are relevant to your current work. You can use the git config command to set the branch.autoSetupMerge option to false and then use the git branch --contains command to show only the branches that contain a specific commit.

## Set the branch.autoSetupMerge option to false
git config --global branch.autoSetupMerge false

## Show only the branches that contain the latest commit
git branch --contains HEAD

This configuration and command combination will help you focus on the branches that are directly related to your current work, making it easier to manage your codebase.

Customizing Branch Aliases

You can also create custom aliases for your Git branches to make them more descriptive and easier to remember. This can be done using the git config command and the branch.*.alias option.

## Create an alias for the 'feature-x' branch
git config --global branch.feature-x.alias "my-new-feature"

After setting this alias, you can use the my-new-feature name instead of feature-x when working with the branch.

By customizing the visibility and naming of your Git branches, you can improve the overall organization and management of your project's codebase, making it easier for you and your team to work effectively.

Summary

In this Git tutorial, you've learned how to exit the merged branches display and customize Git branch visibility. By understanding these techniques, you can streamline your Git workflow, maintain a clean repository, and focus on the most relevant branches for your development needs. Mastering Git branch management is a crucial skill for any developer working with version control systems.