feat: [Concept Entry] Git Checkout (#5748) (#5769)

* feat: [Concept Entry] Git Checkout (#5748) * Update content/git/concepts/checkout/checkout.md Co-authored-by: Pragati Verma <[email protected]> * Update content/git/concepts/checkout/checkout.md Co-authored-by: Pragati Verma <[email protected]> * Update content/git/concepts/checkout/checkout.md Co-authored-by: Pragati Verma <[email protected]> * Update content/git/concepts/checkout/checkout.md Co-authored-by: Pragati Verma <[email protected]> * Update content/git/concepts/checkout/checkout.md Co-authored-by: Pragati Verma <[email protected]> * Update content/git/concepts/checkout/checkout.md Co-authored-by: Pragati Verma <[email protected]> * Update content/git/concepts/checkout/checkout.md Co-authored-by: Pragati Verma <[email protected]> * Apply suggestions from code review Co-authored-by: Pragati Verma <[email protected]> * feat: [Concept Entry] Git Checkout (#5748): added optional flags * Update options syntax * Update checkout.md * fix: [Bug/Error] Java Map: .replaceAll() (#5748) * revert wrong commit on feat branch * Minor fixes * Formatting fixes ---------
Codecademy · Jan 7, 2025 · 70c3df1 · 70c3df1
1 parent f5d5c1b
commit 70c3df1
Showing 1 changed file with 76 additions and 0 deletions.
diff --git a/content/git/concepts/checkout/checkout.md b/content/git/concepts/checkout/checkout.md
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+---
+Title: 'Checkout'
+Description: 'The git checkout command switches, creates and restores branches in the working directory to a specific state.'
+Subjects:
+  - 'Bash/Shell'
+  - 'Developer Tools'
+Tags:
+  - 'Git'
+  - 'GitHub'
+CatalogContent:
+  - 'learn-git'
+  - 'learn-the-command-line'
+  - 'paths/computer-science'
+---
+
+The **`git checkout`** command switches, creates and restores branches in the working directory to a specific state. The `git checkout` command also allows switching to a specific commit without changing branches.
+
+## Syntax
+
+Checkout with branches:
+
+```pseudo
+git checkout [options] <branch-name>
+```
+
+- `<branch-name>` specifies the name of the branch to switch to or create.
+- `[options]` optional flags that can be used with the checkout command. Here are some of the most commonly used options:
+  - `-b` creates a new branch with the specified name and switches to it immediately.
+  - `-` returns to the previously checked-out branch. This flag does not need the `<branch-name>`.
+  - `-f` (--force) forces the checkout, discarding any local changes in the working directory.
+
+Checkout to a specific commit:
+
+```pseudo
+git checkout <commit-hash>
+```
+
+## Switch to an existing branch
+
+The following command will switch to an already existing branch, created previously with the [git branch](https://www.codecademy.com/resources/docs/git/branch) command:
+
+```pseudo
+git checkout existing-branch
+```
+
+> **Note**: From Git 2.23, the new specific `git switch` command has been introduced to switch branches, making it clearer and safer than `git checkout` because it avoids the ambiguity of the latter's multi-purpose nature.
+
+## Create and switch to a new branch
+
+It is possible to create and switch to a new branch with a single command using the `-b` option:
+
+```pseudo
+git checkout -b new-branch
+```
+
+## Restore a file from a specific commit
+
+`git checkout` also allows to restore a file from a specific commit using its hash:
+
+```pseudo
+git checkout <commit-hash> -- example.txt
+```
+
+## Examine a Previous Commit
+
+`git checkout` also allows temporarily moving to a specific commit without changing branches. This state is called **detached `HEAD` state**:
+
+```pseudo
+git checkout <commit-hash>
+```
+
+The detached `HEAD` state allows to:
+
+- Examine the state of the repository at that specified commit.
+- Create new branches if the developer needs to start from that point.
+- Any code changes made in this state will not be associated with any existing branch unless a new branch is created.