git-branch

Git branch

Before changing branches

1. If there are uncommitted changes, either commit, stash, or discard—never assume it is safe to switch without checking git status.
2. Confirm the default branch name (main vs master) with git symbolic-ref refs/remotes/origin/HEAD or git branch -a when unclear.

Create a branch

• From current HEAD: git switch -c <branch> (or git checkout -b <branch> on older Git).
• From a specific base (e.g. latest main): git fetch origin then git switch -c <branch> origin/main (adjust remote and branch names).

Prefer linear history off the team’s agreed default branch unless the user explicitly wants something else.

Naming conventions (suggest unless the user specifies)

Prefix	Use for
codex/	Codex-created branches unless the user or repo convention says otherwise
feature/	New user-facing behavior
fix/	Bug fixes
chore/	Tooling, deps, formatting
docs/	Documentation only

Use lowercase and hyphens: codex/oauth-refresh-token.

List and inspect

• Local: git branch -v
• Including remote tracking: git branch -vv
• All refs: git branch -a

Switch (safe)

• git switch <existing-branch> — fails if it would overwrite local changes without a merge strategy; surface the error and recommend stash/commit.

Rename / delete

• Rename current branch: git branch -m <new-name>
• Delete local (merged): git branch -d <branch>
• Force delete local only when the user confirms the branch is obsolete: git branch -D <branch>
• Deleting a remote branch: git push origin --delete <branch> — only after explicit user confirmation; state impact for collaborators.

Sync with remote

• Update refs: git fetch origin
• Update current branch from its upstream: git pull --ff-only when fast-forward is desired; if it fails, explain non-FF situation and options (rebase vs merge) instead of blind --force.

Destructive operations

• Never suggest git push --force to shared default branches (main, master, develop) unless the user clearly requests it and understands the risk.
• For reset --hard, require explicit user intent; offer safer alternatives first (git stash, git restore).

Output

• State which branch the user is on after operations when relevant.
• When proposing commands, use the repo’s actual remote and default branch names when known from context.