solution 04 branch out

Solution Reference: Challenge 4 -- Branch Out

This shows how to create a branch from each tool. You only needed to use one.

On github.com

1. Go to the repository's Code tab
2. Click the branch dropdown (it says "main")
3. Type a new branch name like fix/welcome-todo
4. Click "Create branch: fix/welcome-todo from main"

The branch now exists on GitHub. You can switch to it using the same dropdown.

In VS Code (with Git)

git checkout -b fix/welcome-todo

Or use the Source Control sidebar: click the branch name in the bottom-left status bar, then select "Create new branch."

In GitHub Desktop

1. Click the Current Branch dropdown
2. Click "New Branch"
3. Enter the name fix/welcome-todo
4. Confirm it is based on main

With GitHub CLI

gh repo clone <workshop-org>/learning-room-<your-username>
cd learning-room
git checkout -b fix/welcome-todo

Branch naming

Good branch names are short and descriptive:

• fix/welcome-todo -- fixing a TODO in welcome.md
• feature/add-schedule-link -- adding a new link
• docs/update-readme -- documentation change

All of these are valid. The convention type/description is common but not required.

What matters

The learning objective is understanding that branches let you work in isolation without affecting main. If you created any branch with any name, you completed this challenge.

Authoritative Sources

Use these official references when you need the current source of truth for facts in this chapter.

• GitHub Docs, home
• GitHub Changelog

Section-Level Source Map

Use this map to verify facts for each major section in this file.

• On github.com: GitHub Docs, home, GitHub Changelog, About Git, GitHub flow, About pull requests
• In VS Code (with Git): GitHub Docs, home, GitHub Changelog, About Git, GitHub flow, About pull requests
• In GitHub Desktop: GitHub Docs, home, GitHub Changelog, About Git, GitHub flow, About pull requests
• With GitHub CLI: GitHub Docs, home, GitHub Changelog, GitHub Copilot docs, Custom instructions support matrix, About custom agents
• Branch naming: GitHub Docs, home, GitHub Changelog, About Git, GitHub flow, About pull requests
• What matters: GitHub Docs, home, GitHub Changelog