/git-branch - Create New Branch

Create a new branch with proper naming conventions, optionally from a specific base.

Usage

bash

/git-branch feat/dark-mode           # Create feature branch
/git-branch fix/login-bug            # Create bugfix branch
/git-branch feat/api-v2 --from main  # Create from specific base
/git-branch --suggest "add login"    # Suggest branch name from description

Naming Conventions

Prefix	Use For	Example
`feat/`	New features	`feat/dark-mode`
`fix/`	Bug fixes	`fix/login-validation`
`refactor/`	Code refactoring	`refactor/auth-module`
`docs/`	Documentation	`docs/api-reference`
`test/`	Test additions/fixes	`test/auth-coverage`
`chore/`	Maintenance tasks	`chore/update-deps`
`hotfix/`	Urgent production fixes	`hotfix/security-patch`

Workflow

Step 1: Validate Branch Name

bash

BRANCH_NAME="$1"

# Check for valid prefix
if [[ ! "$BRANCH_NAME" =~ ^(feat|fix|refactor|docs|test|chore|hotfix)/ ]]; then
    echo "Warning: Branch name doesn't follow conventions."
    echo "Recommended prefixes: feat/, fix/, refactor/, docs/, test/, chore/, hotfix/"
fi

# Check for invalid characters
if [[ "$BRANCH_NAME" =~ [[:space:]] ]]; then
    echo "Error: Branch name cannot contain spaces. Use hyphens instead."
    exit 1
fi

# Check length
if [ ${#BRANCH_NAME} -gt 50 ]; then
    echo "Warning: Branch name is quite long. Consider shortening."
fi

Step 2: Check for Uncommitted Changes

bash

if ! git diff --quiet || ! git diff --cached --quiet; then
    echo "You have uncommitted changes."
    echo "Options:"
    echo "  /git-stash - Stash changes first"
    echo "  /commit - Commit changes first"
    exit 1
fi

Step 3: Determine Base Branch

bash

# Default to current branch, or use specified base
BASE_BRANCH="${FROM_BRANCH:-$(git branch --show-current)}"

# Fetch to ensure we have latest
git fetch origin "$BASE_BRANCH" 2>/dev/null || true

Step 4: Create and Switch to Branch

bash

# Create branch from base
git checkout -b "$BRANCH_NAME" "$BASE_BRANCH"

# Set up tracking if base has remote
if git rev-parse --verify "origin/$BASE_BRANCH" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
    echo "Created from origin/$BASE_BRANCH (latest)"
fi

Output Format

Successful Creation

code

Created branch: feat/dark-mode

Base: main (up to date with origin/main)
Current position: abc1234 Latest commit on main

Branch is local only. To publish:
  /git-push -u

Next steps:
  - Make your changes
  - /commit to commit
  - /git-push to publish
  - /commit-push-pr to create PR

Branch Name Suggestion

When using --suggest:

code

Suggested branch names for "add user login feature":

  1. feat/user-login (Recommended)
  2. feat/add-user-login
  3. feat/login-feature

Enter your choice or provide custom name:

Branch Already Exists

code

Branch 'feat/dark-mode' already exists.

Options:
  /git-switch feat/dark-mode    # Switch to existing branch
  /git-branch feat/dark-mode-v2 # Create with different name

Branch Name Generator

When --suggest is used, generate names based on description:

•Extract key words from description
•Remove stop words (a, the, and, etc.)
•Join with hyphens
•Add appropriate prefix
•Limit to ~30 characters

bash

# Example: "fix the authentication bug in login form"
# Result: fix/auth-bug-login-form

Validation Rules

•Must have valid prefix (warning if missing)
•No spaces (use hyphens)
•No special characters except -, /, _
•Reasonable length (<50 chars recommended)
•Lowercase preferred (warning if uppercase)
•No double hyphens or slashes

Tips

•Use descriptive but concise names
•Include ticket number if applicable: feat/JIRA-123-dark-mode
•Start from an up-to-date base: --from main after pulling
•One branch per feature/fix (keep scope small)

Integration

•Use /git-switch to change between branches
•Use /git-branches to see all branches
•Use /commit-push-pr when ready to create PR
•See reference at ~/.claude/skills/git-workflows/references/naming-conventions.md