List only local branches when autocompleting git checkout (Zsh)

git-zsh-checkout-autocomplete-local-only.md

git config --global alias.checkoutr checkout
$EDITOR /usr/local/share/zsh/site-functions/git-completion.bash

...and then modify the file as follows...

-__gitcomp_nl "$(__git_refs '' $track)"
+if [ "$command" = "checkoutr" ]; then
+    __gitcomp_nl "$(__git_refs '' $track)"
+else
+    __gitcomp_nl "$(__git_heads '' $track)"
+fi

... and source your shell (source ~/.bashrc / source ~/.zshrc...).

Use git checkoutr for the default behavior and git checkout (or just gco) for browsing only local branches. Credits to http://cmetcalfe.ca/blog/git-checkout-autocomplete-local-branches-only.html.

To get this working on zsh, you might need to get https://github.com/git/git/blob/master/contrib/completion/git-completion.zsh, follow the instructions in the comments to setup a link to git-completion.bash, then edit the latter file according to the instructions above

Note that the $track variable has now been renamed to $dwim

For new version of git(2.30.1):

1. modify file /usr/local/share/zsh/site-functions/git-completion.bash: copy shell function _git_checkout to _git_checkoutr, then change _git_checkout function below:

if [ -n "$(__git_find_on_cmdline "-b -B -d --detach --orphan")" ]; then
-			__git_complete_refs --mode="refs"
+			__git_complete_refs --mode="heads"
		elif [ -n "$(__git_find_on_cmdline "--track")" ]; then
			__git_complete_refs --mode="remote-heads"
		else
-			__git_complete_refs $dwim_opt --mode="refs"
+			__git_complete_refs $dwim_opt --mode="heads"
		fi

2. add GIT_COMPLETION_CHECKOUT_NO_GUESS=1 to .zshrc/.bash_profile
3. git config --global alias.checkoutr checkout

@luoluoluolin Any ideas how to get this to work for git 2.35? I am running in zsh, made these changes, and it is still pulling remote branches in autocomplete.

@luoluoluolin Any ideas how to get this to work for git 2.35? I am running in zsh, made these changes, and it is still pulling remote branches in autocomplete.

I've just followed the steps above and confirmed it works with git version 2.35.1

@anthonycvella you must have enabled plugin gitfast otherwise it doesn't work. It took me a while to figure it out.

@KarelCemus Hmm I don't have this plugin enabled.

I have the following enabled: plugins=(git keychain gpg-agent)

@anthonycvella I didn't have it enabled either. My point is when I did enable gitfast it magically started to work; although there is not much magic, I've read the scripts so IMO this plugin must be enabled in order to have this working. Can you try to enable gitfast and check if this gist works for you?

@luoluoluolin It not works for me in dwim mode. I think $dwim_opt is not necessary if only want to get local branches?

                else
-                       __git_complete_refs $dwim_opt --mode="refs"
+                       __git_complete_refs --mode="heads"
                fi

or run

git config --global --type=bool checkout.guess false

git config --global --type=bool checkout.guess false

That does the trick, thanks!

I finally figured this out for anyone wondering. I had to change the implementation defined within the gitfast plugin directory.

For me this was located here:
~/.oh-my-zsh/plugins/gitfast/git-completion.bash

Changes that work

The suggestion by @ekoneko to remove $dwim_opt

                else
-                       __git_complete_refs $dwim_opt --mode="refs"
+                       __git_complete_refs --mode="heads"
                fi

Changes that do not work

Note you do NOT need to set checkout.guess = false in your .gitconfig. I found by doing so, it actually broke the ability to use git checkout for local search and git checkoutr for remote search.