Creating and Managing Git Branches: Branching for Beginners

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Are you just starting with Git and wondering what branches are and why they’re so important? You’re in the right place! This beginner-friendly guide will walk you through creating and managing Git branches, a fundamental concept in version control that makes collaborating and testing code safer and easier.

What is Git?
Git is a free and open-source distributed version control system. It allows developers to track changes, collaborate with others, and manage multiple versions of code in a reliable way.

Why Use Branches in Git?

Branches let you work on new features, bug fixes, or experiments without affecting the main codebase (usually the main or master branch). You can test safely, merge changes when ready, and avoid breaking working code.

How to Create a Git Branch

You can create a branch in just a few steps:

Open your terminal and navigate to your Git project.
Run the following command:

git branch feature-branch

Switch to your new branch:

git checkout feature-branch

Or combine both steps in one:

git checkout -b feature-branch

Managing Git Branches

List branches:
```
git branch
```
Delete a branch:
```
git branch -d feature-branch
```

Merge a branch into main:

git checkout main
git merge feature-branch

These commands help you manage your project cleanly and keep your code organized.

Screencast Tutorial & Screenshots

Command Line Git Branch To Create New Feature Branch

Terminal Showing Git Commit On New Feature Branch

Terminal Showing Git Checkout, Branch And Commit On New Contributor Branch

Terminal Showing Git Branch To List All Branches

Terminal Showing Result of Git Merge Feature Branch Into Main Branch

Terminal Showing Result of Git Branch Delete Feature Branch

Screencast Of Git Branching

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Final Thoughts

Branching in Git may sound technical at first, but with a little practice, it becomes second nature. It’s a powerful tool to help keep your projects clean, organized, and collaboration-friendly.

Don’t hesitate to reach out if you need help getting started!