Re: What are branches?

[Dmitry Potapov <dpotapov@gmail.com>]

On Mon, Apr 20, 2009 at 04:25:38PM +0200, Johannes Schindelin wrote:
> 
> On Mon, 20 Apr 2009, Dmitry Potapov wrote:
> 
> > When you create a new commit, it is always belong to _one_ branch and 
> > never to two or more branches.
> 
> Certainly you forgot about detached HEADs?

I suppose it is a branch without any name given to it, but it is an
advanced feature. I don't think many beginners know about it, so it
is something that can confuse beginners.

> And about the ability to 
> create new branches which point to the _exact_ same commit as other 
> branches?

In essence, we mark the starting point of the branch. Obviously, it
points to a commit that is on other branch or branches. Not every
VCS creates a commit when a new branch is created, though overhead
of creating of a new branch in other VCSes is usually much larger.

> And about the option to delete the original branch, not 
> removing the commit, or the other branches, at all?

Again, there is nothing unique about it. If I remember correctly, it is
so in CVS too. You could remove branch name, but it was still available
by ID.


Dmitry