Deleting Git Branches

Rather than deleting local Git branches as I'm done with each (merging, discarding, etc), I tend to let them build up untill running git branch cover's half my screen. At which point, I perform a bulk delete; removing all but those I'm still working with.

To bulk delete git branches I first load the full list into vi by running the following ex command in a new buffer

r! git branch

I then delete all of the lines for the branches I'm still working with.

And then I finish up by running

%! xargs git branch -d

Which deletes the branch named by each line. Brilliant example of the power of pipes and a text editor that can read and write to shell commands.

Last Updated: 2021-03-17

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