# branch

{% hint style="success" %}
This is the official documentation of the `agent_ruby` Ruby agent.
{% endhint %}

The `forest branch` command is at the center of what your Forest Admin development workflow should look like. As explained on [this page](/developer-guide-agents-ruby/deploying-to-production/using-branches.md), it allows you to manage your layouts, a bit like you would use git's branches for your code.

```
$ forest branch --help
Create a new branch or list your existing branches.

USAGE
  $ forest branch [BRANCH_NAME]

ARGUMENTS
  BRANCH_NAME  The name of the branch to create.

OPTIONS
  -d, --delete            Delete the branch.
  -f, --format=table|json [default: table] Output format.
  -o, --origin=origin     Set the origin of the created branch.
  --force                 When deleting a branch, skip confirmation.
  --help                  Display usage information.
  --projectId=projectId   The id of the project to create a branch in.
```

Here are a few extra details on how it works.

The `forest branch` command has 3 uses, depending on how you use it:

* **list** branches,
* **create** branches,
* **delete** branches.

#### Listing existing branches

To list your existing branches, run `forest branch`:

```
$ forest branch
NAME                    ORIGIN      IS CURRENT  CLOSED AT
feature/new-button      production  ✅
fix-missing-label       staging
feature/remove-tooltip  preprod                 2022-08-19T08:08:47.678Z
```

{% hint style="info" %}
The `IS CURRENT` column indicates your currently selected branch: your Development Environment layouts will be displayed according to this branch's layout configuration.
{% endhint %}

#### Creating a new branch

To create a new branch, append the name of the branch you wish to create after `forest branch`, like so:

```
$ forest branch feature/new-ops-feature --origin production
✅ Switched to new branch: feature/new-ops-feature
```

{% hint style="warning" %}
There is no specific constraint on branch names, though kebab-case is generally used.

However, keep in mind that your branch *name* must be **unique** in the project.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="info" %}
Note that your project must be deployed remotely before you can start using branches:
{% endhint %}

```
$ forest branch add-refund-action
❌ You cannot create a branch until this project has either a remote or a production environment.
```

Any branch reflects layout changes (i.e. configuration changes in your UI) that you've made on that branch. To make this possible, a branch needs an **origin**, which is the state of the layout you started from and made these layout changes on. This is why you need to [have a Production Environment](/developer-guide-agents-ruby/deploying-to-production/environments.md#deploying-to-production) (ideally) or simply a Remote Environment: those Environments can serve as the origin of your branches.

#### Deleting a branch

To delete a branch, use the `-d` option and a branch name to the `forest branch` command:

```
$ forest branch -d hotfix/fix-dropdown-issue
[? Delete branch "hotfix/fix-dropdown-issue"? Y
✅ Branch hotfix/fix-dropdown-issue successfully deleted.
```

{% hint style="info" %}
You will be prompted for confirmation before deleting a branch. To skip that confirmation, use the `--force` option.
{% endhint %}


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.forestadmin.com/developer-guide-agents-ruby/deploying-to-production/forest-cli-commands/branch.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.