Git: Which Branch Contains Tag - Shell/Bash

Welcome to this tutorial on finding the branch that contains a specific tag in Git using Shell/Bash scripting.

Introduction

In Git, tags are used to mark specific points in history, often used to represent version releases. Sometimes, it becomes necessary to find out which branch contains a specific tag. This tutorial will guide you through a Shell/Bash script that allows you to achieve this.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding, make sure you have the following:

• Git installed on your system
• Basic understanding of Git commands and Bash scripting

Script Implementation

#!/bin/bash

# Variables
search_tag="my_tag"
branch_with_tag=""

# Get list of branches
branches=$(git branch --list --remote)

# Iterate through branches to find the one containing the tag
for branch in ${branches[@]}; do
    result=$(git branch --contains ${search_tag} remotes/${branch#remotes/})
    if [[ ! -z ${result} ]]; then
        branch_with_tag=${branch#remotes/}
        break
    fi
done

# Output branch containing the tag
echo "Branch containing the tag '${search_tag}': ${branch_with_tag}"

Explanation

Let's go through the script step by step:

1. Set the search_tag variable to the tag you want to find the corresponding branch for.
2. Initialize the branch_with_tag variable to an empty string. This will store the branch name containing the tag.
3. Use git branch --list --remote command to get a list of remote branches.
4. Iterate through each branch to find the one containing the tag. Use git branch --contains command with the specified tag and branch to check if the tag exists on that branch.
5. If the result of the above command is not empty, set the branch_with_tag variable to the current branch and break the loop.
6. Finally, print the branch containing the tag.

Usage

To use the script, follow these steps:

1. Create a new Bash script file using your preferred text editor.
2. Copy and paste the script into the file.
3. Replace "my_tag" in the script with your desired tag.
4. Save the file with a ".sh" extension, for example, "find_branch_with_tag.sh".
5. Open a terminal and navigate to the directory where the script file is saved.
6. Run the script using the following command: bash find_branch_with_tag.sh

The script will display the branch containing the specified tag.

Conclusion

You have now learned how to find the branch that contains a specific tag in Git using Shell/Bash scripting. This can be useful in scenarios where you need to trace back changes related to a particular tag in your repository. Feel free to modify and customize the script according to your specific needs. Happy coding!