Mastering Git Branch Visibility- A Comprehensive Guide to Viewing Branches in Terminal

How to see git branch in terminal is a common question among developers who are new to the world of version control with Git. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced user, being able to view your branches efficiently is crucial for managing your codebase. In this article, we’ll explore various methods to see git branch in terminal, ensuring that you can keep track of your code’s evolution with ease.

The terminal is the primary interface for interacting with Git, and there are several commands you can use to view your branches. Let’s dive into some of the most popular ones.

One of the simplest ways to see git branch in terminal is by using the `git branch` command. When you run this command without any arguments, it will display a list of all branches in your repository, including the current branch, which is marked with an asterisk (). This is a quick and straightforward method to get an overview of your branches.

For example, if you execute the following command in your terminal:

“`
git branch
“`

You should see a list similar to this:

“`
master
feature/new-feature
issue/bugfix
“`

In this list, `master` is the current branch, and `feature/new-feature` and `issue/bugfix` are other branches.

However, if you want to see more detailed information about your branches, you can use the `-a` flag with the `git branch` command. This flag will show all branches, including remote branches, local branches, and even merged branches. To see git branch in terminal with this level of detail, use the following command:

“`
git branch -a
“`

The output will look something like this:

“`
master
remotes/origin/HEAD -> origin/master
remotes/origin/feature/new-feature
remotes/origin/issue/bugfix
“`

In this list, `remotes/origin/` indicates that these branches are remote branches from the `origin` remote repository.

Another useful command to see git branch in terminal is `git branch -v`. This command will display the same list as `git branch -a`, but it will also include the last commit hash for each branch. This information can be helpful in understanding the recent changes made to each branch:

“`
master 7b4a2f5 Update documentation
remotes/origin/HEAD -> origin/master 7b4a2f5 Update documentation
remotes/origin/feature/new-feature 7b4a2f5 Update documentation
remotes/origin/issue/bugfix 7b4a2f5 Update documentation
“`

Lastly, if you’re interested in seeing the branches that are ahead or behind the current branch, you can use the `git rev-parse –abbrev-ref HEAD` command to get the current branch name and then use it with the `git rev-list` command. Here’s how you can do it:

“`
CURRENT_BRANCH=$(git rev-parse –abbrev-ref HEAD)
AHEAD_COUNT=$(git rev-list –left-right ${CURRENT_BRANCH}…origin/master | grep -c ‘^<') BEHIND_COUNT=$(git rev-list --left-right ${CURRENT_BRANCH}...origin/master | grep -c '^>‘)
echo “Branch ${CURRENT_BRANCH} is ${AHEAD_COUNT} ahead and ${BEHIND_COUNT} behind ‘origin/master’.”
“`

This command will give you the number of commits ahead and behind your current branch compared to the `origin/master` branch.

By familiarizing yourself with these commands, you’ll be able to see git branch in terminal with ease and effectively manage your codebase. Remember that practice makes perfect, so don’t hesitate to experiment with these commands to find the ones that work best for you.