Deleting Branches from GitHub: A Step-By-Step Guide
Creating a branch is easy, but deleting a branch can be a bit tricky in the GitHub repositories. It is essential to know how to delete a branch safely and without affecting the other branches. To help you understand and successfully delete a branch, we have created this comprehensive guide.
This guide will walk you through the following:
- What are the steps to delete a branch from GitHub
- How to make sure all the branch changes have been saved
- What happens when a branch is deleted
- FAQs for deleting branches from GitHub
What are the Steps to Delete a Branch from GitHub?
Deleting a branch from GitHub is a straightforward task. Here are the steps you should follow to delete a branch in GitHub:
- Make sure the branch has been fully merged and all the branch changes have been saved
- Log in to your GitHub account
- Select the repository in which the branch is created
- Select the branch that you want to delete
- Click on the branch name
- Swipe the branch with the Delete button
- Confirm the delete
How to Make Sure All the Branch Changes Have Been Saved
Before deleting a branch in GitHub, it is important to make sure that all the changes have been saved. To do this, you can follow the below steps:
- Check the state of the branch in the GitHub breakdown
- If the branch has not been fully merged, check with the other contributors and get approval to merge the branch
- Make sure your commits are recorded on the branch
- Sync your branch with the central repository
- Make sure any new changes or additional commits are pushed to the branch
What Happens When a Branch is Deleted
When a branch is deleted, all the data associated with it is permanently cleared from the repository. This includes all the commits and changes made in the branch.
Deleting a branch in GitHub can be confusing or intimidating, especially if you’re new to it. As long as you follow the above steps, you can delete a branch safely and without any fears of losing data.
FAQs for Deleting Branches from GitHub
How Long Does it Take to Delete a Branch in GitHub?
It usually takes a few seconds to delete a branch in GitHub. Depending on the size of your repository, it can take longer to delete the branch.
Does Deleting a Branch Affects Other Branches in GitHub?
No, deleting a branch does not affect other branches in your GitHub repository. You can delete any branch without having to worry about any other branches.
How Do I Unmerge a Branch in GitHub?
If you want to unmerge a branch in GitHub, you can either delete it or open a pull request to unmerge it.
How Do I Delete a Remote Branch?
You can delete a remote branch by running the following command in the terminal:
git push [remote] --delete [branch name]
How Do I Delete a Local Branch?
You can delete a local branch by running the following command in the terminal:
git branch -d [branch name]