How to Create a Local Branch From an Existing Remote Branch in Git

As a professional developer working on large projects with multiple contributors, you‘ll inevitably need to utilize Git‘s powerful branching capabilities. Creating local branches from existing remote branches is a common workflow that enables you to parallelize development and isolate changes before merging back into the main codebase.

In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll walk through the end-to-end process of creating a local branch copied from a remote. We‘ll cover:

• The benefits of branching in Git
• Prerequisites for creating local branches from remotes
• Step-by-step instructions for checking out remote tracking branches
• Tips for managing and working with your new local branch
• Best practices for merging local work back into remote branches

The Advantages of Branching in Git

Before we dig into the specifics of creating local branches, let‘s recap some of the key reasons why branching is so indispensable for collaborative projects:

• Isolate code changes: Branches let you work on new features or bug fixes isolated from the main codebase. This means you don‘t disrupt other developers and you avoid introducing unfinished code into production.

• Support concurrent workflows: Multiple developers can work on disjoint branches simultaneously without stepping on each other‘s toes.

• Facilitate code reviews: Branches keep work neatly partitioned so it‘s easy to review and provide feedback on colleagues‘ changes before integrating into the shared repo.

• Improve quality with merge testing: By regularly merging branches together, you smoke test the integration points and uncover conflicts early.

• Enable release staging: New work can be completed on branches and merged back to main or master only when ready for release.

Copying remote branches to local repos unlocks these benefits by bringing down the latest centralized code so you can build on it independently.

Prerequisites for Creating Local Branches

Before creating a local branch from a remote counterpart, you should ensure:

• You have cloned the central repository so you have a local copy
• You‘ve fetched the latest remote commits so your clone is up-to-date
• You‘ve checked what branches exist on remote and chosen one to base your local work off of

Here are the commands to accomplish these prep steps:

# Clone the repo 
git clone <url-of-central-repo>

# Fetch updates from origin  
git fetch origin 

# List local and remote branches
git branch --all 

This will provide the foundation to create your local branch with confidence it aligns with the current remote state.

Step-By-Step Guide to Create a Local Branch from a Remote

With the prerequisites fulfilled, we‘re ready to create our local branch copied from the remote repo.

Follow these steps:

1. Checkout the Remote Tracking Branch

Start by checking out the remote tracking branch, which downloads it to your local repo:

git checkout -b <new-branch> origin/<remote-branch>

For example:

git checkout -b feature/new-modal origin/develop

This simultaneously:

1. Creates a new local branch called feature/new-modal
2. Configures origin/develop as the remote tracking branch
3. Switches to the new local branch so you‘re ready to work on it

2. Verify the Branch Checkout

Before coding away, confirm the checkout succeeded with:

git branch

You should see your new branch listed and highlighted with an asterisk.

And if you want to double check the tracking configuration:

git branch -vv

This will display the upstream relationship between your local branch and remote counterpart.

3. Develop Locally, Commit Your Changes

With your local branch now ready, go ahead and modify code, add new files, etc.

As you make changes, continue using Git as usual:

git add .
git commit -m "Implement modal framework"

Commit frequently so you don‘t lose work. Leverage commits to document what features, fixes or refactors you work on.

4. Push Your Branch to the Remote Repo

As you reach logical stopping points, push your branch to share your in-progress work with teammates and backup your commits to the remote server:

git push origin feature/new-modal

The first push will create the branch on the central repository. Subsequent pushes will add your new local commits.

After pushing, other developers can access your branch to inspect work or provide suggestions if pull requests are configured.

Tips for Managing Local Branches

Here are some tips for working effectively with your local branches after initially checking them out from a remote:

Keep Your Branch in Sync

Frequently fetch updates from the central remote and rebase your branch to incorporate new commits from teammates:

git fetch origin
git rebase origin/develop

This will replay your work on top of the remote branch‘s HEAD so you stay aware of code changes that could impact your feature development. Address merge conflicts as they arise.

Review Remotes Often

Periodically review remote branches to stay aware of separate work happening in parallel:

git fetch --all --prune
git branch -va  

Scan for branch names you don‘t recognize. Analyze the commit history on new branches. This will help avoid duplicate work and unexpected conflicts when it comes time to merge.

Delete Stale Branches

Don‘t forget to prune stale branches after code gets merged to keep your repo tidy:

git branch -d <branch-name>
git push origin :<branch-name> 

Like with weeding a garden, pruning liberates mental bandwidth to focus on active branches with meaningful work left to complete.

Best Practices for Merging Local Branches Upstream

When your feature or fix on a local branch nears completion, you‘ll want to merge it back into the canonical remote branch (often main) so your changes get included in the shared codebase.

Follow these best practices for a seamless merge:

Discuss Expectations Upfront

Before embarking on a massive change, align with team members on the merge requirements. Define what constitutes done, the level of testing needed, who has to approve it, etc. Get everyone on the same page early.

Construct a Merge Request

Create a pull request or merge request for your branch even if you have permissions to merge directly. This facilitates discussion and review by inviting feedback.

Squash Commits

Consider squashing minor commits together to streamline your branch’s commit history:

git rebase -i origin/main

Mark all but the first commit with s (squash). This keeps things clean.

Build/Test Thoroughly Pre-Merge

Throughly validate your code works as expected on your end before merging upstream:

git checkout origin/main
git merge <your-branch-name>

Perform rigorous integration testing in this pre-merge trial run. Confirm no defects, performance issues, inconsistencies, etc. remain. This smooths the actual merge.

Delete Stale Branches Post-Merge

As mentioned earlier, prune merged branches from your local clone and remote repo to prevent clutter buildup over time. Don‘t leave drifting branches accumulating.

If you follow these best practices, merging your local work back into the canonical remote branches will be simple, transparent and low risk each step of the development lifecycle.

Summary

As you‘ve learned, creating local branches from remote counterparts enables isolated development and positions you to seamlessly merge upstream later. The key takeaways include:

• Local branches isolate new features from the main codebase until ready
• Checkout remote tracking branches to easily build locally off remote work
• Frequently fetch remote changes and rebase local work on top
• Discuss expectations ahead of time before merging branches together

By productively leveraging branches in your development workflows, you amplify collaboration benefits and reduce the risk of destabilizing shared upstream code.

Whether you’re just setting out with Git or sharpening advanced skills, mastering local/remote branch workflows will make you a well-rounded practitioner able to handle real-world version control challenges.