Branching (b*)

Branching commands in Hug simplify managing local and remote branches. Prefixed with b for "branch", they provide intuitive ways to list, switch, create, delete, and query branches with safety checks and clear output.

These commands are implemented as Git aliases and scripts in the Hug tool suite, wrapping Git's branch operations for better usability, including interactive selection, color highlighting, and formatted views.

Quick Reference

Command	Memory Hook	Summary
hug b	Branch checkout	Switch to an existing branch or pick interactively
hug bl	Branch List	List local branches
hug bla	Branch List All	List local and remote branches
hug blr	Branch List Remote	List remote branches only
hug bll	Branch List Long	Detailed local branch list with tracking info
hug bc	Branch Create	Create a new branch and switch to it
hug br	Branch Rename	Rename the current branch
hug bdel	Branch DELete (safe)	Delete merged local branch
hug bdelf	Branch DELete Force	Force-delete local branch
hug bdelr	Branch DELete Remote	Delete remote branch
hug bpull	Branch Pull	Safe fast-forward pull (fails if merge/rebase needed)
hug bpullr	Branch Pull Rebase	Pull with rebase (linear history)
hug bwc	Branch Which Contain	Branches containing a commit
hug bwp	Branch Which Point	Branches pointing at an object
hug bwnc	Branch Which Not Contain	Branches missing a commit
hug bwm	Branch Which Merged	Branches merged into a commit
hug bwnm	Branch Which Not Merged	Branches not merged into a commit

Listing Branches

hug b [branch]

• Description: Switch (checkout) to an existing local branch. If no branch is specified, shows an interactive menu of local branches for selection.
• Example:

  hug b main                 # Switch to main branch
  hug b                      # Interactive menu to select branch
  hug b feature/new-ui       # Switch to feature branch

• Safety: Interactive mode prevents accidental switches. Always checks if you're in a Git repo.

hug bl

• Description: List local branches in short format, sorted alphabetically. The current branch is marked with an asterisk (*).
• Example:

  hug bl    # List all local branches

• Safety: Read-only operation; no changes to repo state.

hug bla

• Description: List all branches (local and remote) in short format.
• Example:

  hug bla   # List all branches including remotes

• Safety: Read-only.

hug blr

• Description: List remote branches only in short format.
• Example:

  hug blr   # List remote branches

• Safety: Read-only.

hug bll

• Description: List local branches in long format with details: short commit hash, upstream tracking info (e.g., ahead/behind counts), and the latest commit message title. Current branch is highlighted in green and marked with *. Branches are left-aligned for readability.
• Example:

  hug bll   # Detailed local branch listing

• Safety: Read-only; displays tracking info like git branch -vv but with commit subjects.

Branch Creation / Modification

hug bc <branch-name>

• Description: Create a new branch and switch to it.
• Example:

  hug bc new-feature    # Create and switch to new-feature

• Safety: Non-destructive; creates from current HEAD.

hug br <new-name>

• Description: Rename the current branch to a new name.
• Example:

  hug br updated-feature  # Rename current branch

• Safety: Prompts for confirmation if the new name exists.

Branch Deletion

hug bdel <branch>

• Description: Safely delete a local branch (only if fully merged into current branch).
• Example:

  hug bdel old-feature    # Safe delete if merged

• Safety: Fails if unmerged; requires confirmation.

hug bdelf <branch>

• Description: Force-delete a local branch, even if unmerged.
• Example:

  hug bdelf risky-branch  # Force delete unmerged branch

• Safety: Double-prompts for confirmation to prevent accidents.

hug bdelr <branch>

• Description: Delete a remote branch from the origin remote.
• Example:

  # First, list remote branches to find the one to delete
  hug blr
  # Then, delete the desired branch by name
  hug bdelr old-remote-feature

• Safety: Prompts for confirmation before deleting.

Pulling Branches

Hug provides safe, intuitive pull commands under the b* prefix, emphasizing fast-forward safety by default while offering rebase for linear histories.

hug bpull

• Description: Safe fast-forward pull from upstream. Succeeds only if your local branch can fast-forward (no local divergence); aborts otherwise to prevent unintended merges or rewrites. Ideal for verifying sync before critical operations like tagging or releasing.
• Example:

  hug bpull    # Pull if fast-forward possible; fails safely if diverged

• Safety: Ultra-safe - aborts on any need for merge/rebase, prompting you to inspect with hug sl or use hug bpullr.

hug bpullr

• Description: Pull with rebase, replaying your local commits on top of remote changes for a clean, linear history. Use when you've diverged locally (e.g., after committing features).
• Example:

  hug bpullr   # Pull and rebase for linear history

• Safety: Non-destructive to remote history, but may require conflict resolution. Aborts on issues; resume with hug rbc or abort with hug rba.

Branch Queries (bw*)

These commands help inspect which branches relate to specific commits or states.

hug bwc [<commit>]

• Description: Show branches that contain a specific commit (in their history). Defaults to HEAD.
• Example:

  hug bwc a1b2c3    # Branches containing commit a1b2c3
  hug bwc           # Branches containing HEAD

• Safety: Read-only.

hug bwp [<object>]

• Description: Show branches that point exactly at a specific object (e.g., commit). Defaults to HEAD.
• Example:

  hug bwp HEAD       # Branches pointing at HEAD

• Safety: Read-only.

hug bwnc [<commit>]

• Description: Show branches that do NOT contain a specific commit. Defaults to HEAD.
• Example:

  hug bwnc HEAD      # Branches not containing HEAD

• Safety: Read-only.

hug bwm [<commit>]

• Description: Show branches merged into a specific commit (defaults to HEAD).
• Example:

  hug bwm            # Branches merged into HEAD

• Safety: Read-only.

hug bwnm [<commit>]

• Description: Show branches NOT merged into a specific commit (defaults to HEAD).
• Example:

  hug bwnm           # Branches not merged into HEAD

• Safety: Read-only.

Tips

• Use hug b to review branch status and easily switch via an interactive menu.
• For creating a branch from an existing one: hug bc <new> <existing> (e.g., hug bc new-feature existing-feature).
• Always backup work with hug w backup before deleting branches.
• Use hug blr to list remote branches before deleting one with hug bdelr.
• Queries like bwc and bwm are useful for cleanup before bdel.

See Status & Staging for checking changes after branching operations.