How do you delete a Git branch locally?

How do you delete a local branch in Git?

At its core, the branching model offered by Git is intended to help you avoid merging unstable code into the main codebase. Working with branches in Git is a breeze, especially if you’re working with the GitKraken Git client to visualize your repository.

Let’s start by going over how to delete a Git branch locally using the command line.

To delete a local branch in Git using the terminal, you’re going to run the git branch command and pass in the -d flag. Next, you will pass in the name of the branch you wish to delete.

Can you delete a local branch in Git if the branch is checked out?

It’s important to note Git does not allow you to delete a local branch if you have the branch checked out with unmerged changes. This helps prevent you from accidentally losing commit data.

How do you see your Git branch list?

If you aren’t using the GitKraken Git GUI, you might have to run git branch again on its own. The git branch command will pull a list of all the local branches in your Git repository.

How do you delete a local Git branch with unmerged changes?

To delete a local Git branch with unmerged changes, you will need to run

git branch -D

with a capital D, followed by the target branch name.

This tells Git that you’re serious about deleting this branch. But be warned! Using the -D flag too often can make losing data very easy, so use with caution.

How do you delete a Git branch using GitKraken?

As we’ve already mentioned, there are significant benefits associated with using a Git client to visualize your repository.

If you want to delete a branch using GitKraken, simply right-click on a branch name in the left panel or from the central graph and select Delete [branch name].

Delete a branch by mistake? Never fear. You can always utilize the magical Undo button in the top toolbar in GitKraken to make it like it never happened. There’s no comparable feature to the Undo button in the command line.

Want to make deleting branches in Git quick and easy? Download the GitKraken Git GUI for free.

Originally published at https://www.gitkraken.com.