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Learn how to manage multiple versions of a project with branching. 

Git Branching

The diagram to the right illustrates branching. 

* The circles are commits, and together form the Git project's commit history.
* _New Branch_ is a different _version_ of the Git project. It contains commits from the main branch but also has commits that it does not have.

Click Next to make your first new branch. 

The diagram shows a new branch being formed off the main branch.

branching overview

What if you wanted to include all the changes made to the `fencing` branch on the `master` branch? We can easily accomplish this by _merging_ the branch into master with:

```
git merge branch_name
```


For example, if I wanted to merge the `skills` branch to master, I would enter 

```bash
git merge skills
```

In a moment, you'll merge branches. Keep in mind: 

* Your goal is to update `master` with changes you made to `fencing`. 
* `fencing` is the giver branch, since it provides the changes.
* `master` is the receiver branch, since it accepts those changes. 

git merge

In Git, branches are usually a means to an end. You create them to work on a new project feature, but the end goal is to merge that feature into the `master` branch. After the branch has been integrated into `master`, it has served its purpose and can be deleted. 

The command
```
git branch -d branch_name
```
will delete the specified branch from your Git project.  

Now that `master` contains all the file changes that were in `fencing`, let's delete `fencing`. 

delete branch

Let's say you decide you'd like to merge the changes from `fencing` into `master`. 

Here's where the trouble begins! 

You've made commits on separate branches that alter the same line in conflicting ways. Now, when you try to merge `fencing` into `master`, Git will not know which version of the file to keep. 

merge conflict II

Great! You just created a new branch. 

The `master` and `fencing` branches are identical: they share the same exact commit history. You can switch to the new branch with

```bash
git checkout branch_name
```

Here, `branch_name` is the name of the branch. If the branch's name is `skill`

```bash
git checkout skill
```

Once you switch branches, you will now be able to make commits on the branch that have no impact on `master`. 

You can continue your workflow, while `master` stays intact! 

git checkout

The merge was successful because `master` had not changed since we made a commit on `fencing`. Git knew to simply update `master` with changes on `fencing`. 

What would happen if you made a commit on `master` _before_ you merged the two branches? Furthermore, what if the commit you made on `master` altered the same exact text you worked on in `fencing`?  When you switch back to `master` and ask Git to merge the two branches, Git doesn't know which changes you want to keep. This is called a _merge conflict_.  

merge conflict I

Let's take a moment to review the main concepts and commands from the lesson before moving on. 

* Git *branching* allows users to experiment with different versions of a project by checking out separate _branches_ to work on.

The following commands are useful in the Git branch workflow.
* `git branch`: Lists all a Git project's branches.
* `git branch branch_name`: Creates a new branch.
* `git checkout branch_name`: Used to switch from one branch to another.
* `git merge branch_name`: Used to join file changes from one branch to another. 
* `git branch -d branch_name`: Deletes the branch specified.

Generalizations

There are 4 dots, each representing a commit within a git repository. The 1st dot points to the 2nd, the 2nd points to the 3rd, and the 3rd points to the 4th. The first 3 dots all belong to the "master" branch and form a straight line. The 4th dot diverges diagonally from the line made by the first 3 dots, indicating that a new branch labeled "fencing" is created.

Congratulations! You have switched to a new branch. All the commands you do on `master`, you can also do on this branch.  

For example, to add files to the staging area, use: 
```
git add filename
```
And to commit, use: 
```
git commit -m "Commit message"
```

In a moment, you will make a commit on the `fencing` branch. On the far right, the diagram shows what will happen to the Git project.   

commit on a new branch

Up to this point, you've practiced in a single Git branch. (Note: GitHub has changed the naming convention of the main branch from `master` to `main`.We will be updating the instructions and code workspaces soon to reflect that. In the meantime, `master` refers to `main`).

Git allows us to create _branches_ to experiment with versions of a project. Imagine you want to create a version of a story with a happy ending. You can create a new branch and make the happy ending changes to that branch only. It will have no effect on the `master` branch until you're ready to merge the happy ending to the master branch. 

In this lesson, we'll be using Git branching to develop multiple versions of a resumé. 

You can use the command below to answer the question: “which branch am I on?” 
```
git branch
```

git branch

Right now, the Git project has only one branch: `master`. 

To create a new branch, use: 

```
git branch new_branch
```

Here `new_branch` would be the name of the new branch you create, like `photos` or `blurb`. Be sure to name your branch something that describes the purpose of the branch. Also, branch names can’t contain whitespaces: `new-branch` and `new_branch` are valid branch names, but `new branch` is not. 