Switch to a Branch

Introduction

In Git, branches are used to create different versions of a project. Switching between branches is a common task when working with Git. In this lab, you will learn how to switch to an existing branch in a Git repository.

Switch to a Branch

You have been working on a project in a Git repository named https://github.com/labex-labs/git-playground. Your team has created a new branch named feature-1 to work on a new feature. You need to switch to the feature-1 branch to continue working on the feature.

1. Clone the Git repository:

git clone https://github.com/labex-labs/git-playground.git

2. Navigate to the repository directory:

cd git-playground

3. List all the branches in the repository:

git branch

Output:

feature-1
* master

4. Switch to the feature-1 branch:

git checkout feature-1

Output:

Switched to branch 'feature-1'

5. Verify that you are now on the feature-1 branch:

git branch

Output:

* feature-1
master

Summary

Switching to an existing branch in a Git repository is a common task when working with Git. Use the git checkout <branch> command to switch to the specified branch. In newer versions of Git, you can also use git switch <branch>.