I have been usingGit version control for several years. I probably should have mastered it by now, but that has not happened. I know just enough commands and options to bedangerous. Every now and then, I will learn something new and smile.

One example is thegit checkout command. I have used this command countless times to switch back and forth between different branches in my Git repos. For example, here is a repo withmaster anddevelop branches:

$ git checkout developSwitched to branch'develop'$ git checkout masterSwitched to branch'master'Your branch is up todatewith'origin/master'.$ git checkout developSwitched to branch'develop'$

I have been switching Git branches this way foryears. But this week, I learnedgit checkout -. This version of the command switches to thelast branch that you were on:

$ git checkout developSwitched to branch'develop'$ git checkout -Switched to branch'master'Your branch is up todatewith'origin/master'.$ git checkout -Switched to branch'develop'$ git checkout -Switched to branch'master'Your branch is up todatewith'origin/master'.$

Mind blown! Thegit checkout - command is a blessing. It is so much easier, especially when your Git branches have long names. This would have saved me lots of typing over the years 😩. Oh well, better late than never!

If you already know aboutgit checkout -, great. If not, I hope it makes your Git life easier.

Thanks for reading. 😃

Follow me on Twitter@realEdwinTorres for more programming tips and help.