Answer by Stefaan for How do I get the current branch name in Git?

For my own reference (but it might be useful to others) I made an overview of most (basic command line) techniques mentioned in this thread, each applied to several use cases: HEAD is (pointing at):

• local branch (master)
• remote tracking branch, in sync with local branch (origin/master at same commit as master)
• remote tracking branch, not in sync with a local branch (origin/feature-foo)
• tag (v1.2.3)
• submodule (run inside the submodule directory)
• general detached head (none of the above)

Results:

• git branch | sed -n '/\* /s///p'
  • local branch: master
  • remote tracking branch (in sync): (detached from origin/master)
  • remote tracking branch (not in sync): (detached from origin/feature-foo)
  • tag: (detached from v1.2.3)
  • submodule: (HEAD detached at 285f294)
  • general detached head: (detached from 285f294)
• git status | head -1
  • local branch: # On branch master
  • remote tracking branch (in sync): # HEAD detached at origin/master
  • remote tracking branch (not in sync): # HEAD detached at origin/feature-foo
  • tag: # HEAD detached at v1.2.3
  • submodule: # HEAD detached at 285f294
  • general detached head: # HEAD detached at 285f294
• git describe --all
  • local branch: heads/master
  • remote tracking branch (in sync): heads/master (note: notremotes/origin/master)
  • remote tracking branch (not in sync): remotes/origin/feature-foo
  • tag: v1.2.3
  • submodule: remotes/origin/HEAD
  • general detached head: v1.0.6-5-g2393761
• cat .git/HEAD:
  • local branch: ref: refs/heads/master
  • submodule: cat: .git/HEAD: Not a directory
  • all other use cases: SHA of the corresponding commit
• git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD
  • local branch: master
  • all the other use cases: HEAD
• git symbolic-ref --short HEAD
  • local branch: master
  • all the other use cases: fatal: ref HEAD is not a symbolic ref

(FYI this was done with git version 1.8.3.1)