Git checkout is a command in Git that allows you to navigate between the branches created by git branch. It is the act of switching between different versions of a target entity, which can be files, commits, or branches. When you check out a branch, Git updates the files in the working directory to match the version stored in that branch, and it tells Git to record all new commits on that branch.
The git checkout command can be used to perform several operations, including:
- Switching to a specific branch: To switch to a specific branch, you can execute the command
git checkout <branch>
. - Creating a new branch: You can create a new branch and switch to it simultaneously by executing the command
git checkout -b <new-branch>
. - Checking out a remote branch: Git allows you to check out a remote branch by executing the command
git checkout <remote>/<branch>
.
It is important to note that the git checkout command can be dangerous because there is no undo option available on this command. Therefore, you should be careful with your staged files and commits when switching between branches.
In summary, git checkout is a command in Git that allows you to switch between different versions of a target entity, such as files, commits, or branches. It is a powerful tool that can be used to create new branches, switch between branches, and checkout remote branches.