How to Create a New Git Branch Without History

In Git, creating a new branch without history refers to initiating a branch that doesn't carry over any previous commit information from the parent branch. This process is particularly useful in situations where you need a fresh start without any of the preceding commit history.

Understanding the Concept of "Without History"

When you create a new branch, the default behavior is to inherit the history of commits from the parent branch. If, however, you want to start a branch with no prior commit history, it's a bit more involved. This can be achieved in a few steps, especially if you're starting from the initial commit or an existing repository.

Creating a New Branch in a Newly Initialized Repository

When you initialize a new Git repository using `git init`, you don't have any commit history. The default branch, typically named `master`, starts off as a commit with no parent. If you want to create a branch from this initial commit, you can proceed by branching from it directly:

Initiate a new repo using git init.

Switch to the master branch using git switch master. This is an intuitive way to start working with the default branch. The git switch command has replaced the git checkout command in more recent versions of Git for branch switching, providing a more user-friendly experience.

Create a new branch using the commit hash of the initial commit. Use git log --reverse to see the commit history in reverse order, which helps you identify the first commit.

git branch newbranch

Creating a New Branch from an Existing Repository

If you are working with an existing repository and you want to create a branch without history, you need to know the SHA1 hash of the very first commit. Here are the steps:

git log --oneline --reverse to examine the commit history and find the oldest commit ID.

Once you have the commit ID, you can create a new branch from it using git branch newbranch .

Conclusion

Creating a new branch without any history in Git is a handy technique that can be used in a variety of scenarios, such as when you want to start a project from scratch or when you need to preserve the integrity of codebase. By understanding how to branch off the initial commit or a specific commit, you can maintain a clean, well-controlled workflow in your projects.

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