README

branch-alias subcommand for git

Install

npm i git-branch-alias -g

Usage

${command} <alias> [ <branch> ]
${command} [ --delete | -d ] <alias>

Creates a symbolic reference <alias> referring to <branch>.

• ${command} is git-branch-alias, git branch-alias or git bralias.
• <branch> defaults to the current checked-out branch.

This symbolic reference acts as an alias for <branch>, and can be used in its place. More specifically, it WILL be dereferenced to its target in nearly all situations, so for any given command you should treat every usage of <alias> as if it were actually <branch>.

To safely delete a branch alias, use:

${command} --delete <alias>

WARNING: These symbolic references appear in your branch list as:

 <alias> -> <branch>

and so you might be tempted to try to delete them like a branch:

 git branch -d <alias>

However this can cause problems. In git versions prior to 1.8.0.1 <alias> will be dereferenced and you will instead delete the branch it refers to (git will allow this even if you currently have that branch checked out), and the symbolic reference will still remain (referencing a branch which is no longer available). In later versions of git the <alias> will be deleted rather than the branch; however git will still not check to see whether you currently have <alias> checked out, and will not prevent you from deleting it in that situation. This will leave your HEAD ref in an invalid state. Using ${command} -d <alias> resolves this situation by switching HEAD to 's target.

Thanks

• https://gist.github.com/mauricerkelly/0b12b20a870d1e38081e