git-bd

Description

git bd mimics git branch in usage but git bd creates a new working directory for each branch you create. The combination of a branch and working directory is what I refer to as a branchdir. Branchdirs allow you to have multiple branches checked out at once.

Installation

1. Put git-bd and git-new-workdir in your PATH and ensure it is executable.

2. Source bd.bashrc in your ~/.bashrc to add Bash completion for git bd and to add a Bash function, bd, to switch between branchdirs.

3. To setup a repo to use git bd --init.

   For example:

    mkdir git-bd
    git clone https://github.com/nnutter/git-bd.git master
    cd master
    git bd --init
   

Caveats

Remember, almost everything that happens in Git can be undone. Don't panic!

• If you mix git merge or git pull with git pull --rebase you will probably regret it.
• If you mix git branch and git bd you will probably regret it.
• If you move your branchdir base repo you will have to repair broken symlinks. Some of which are "supposed" to be broken.

Install from npm

npm install -g git-bd

Run these commands if you installed globally with -g

echo PATH=\$PATH:`npm -g list --parseable git-new-workdir | head -n1` >> ~/.bashrc
echo . `npm -g list --parseable git-bd | head -n1`/bd.bashrc >> ~/.bashrc

Run these commands if you installed locally without -g

echo PATH=\$PATH:`npm list --parseable git-bd | head -n1` >> ~/.bashrc
echo PATH=\$PATH:`npm list --parseable git-new-workdir | head -n1` >> ~/.bashrc
echo . `npm list --parseable git-bd | head -n1`/bd.bashrc >> ~/.bashrc

Convert from git-branchdir-manager

This assumes you did not override $GB_DEV_BRANCH, $GB_MASTER_DIR_NAME, or $GB_MASTER_BRANCH which default to master, .gb_master, and gb_master respectively.

1. Commit all changes in all branches. You can reset them off or interactive rebase later to fix them up.
2. Remove the existing branchdirs besides .gb_master which you should keep.
3. Move the .gb_master to master.
4. Change directories to master.
5. Run git checkout master.
6. Run git bd --init. When prompted you may want to convert existing branches to branchdirs. This will recreate the branchdirs you just removed but will also setup the tracking git-bd needs to be aware of them.
7. Run git branch -D gb_master.