Quick bash script to start a new GIT branch from master or from any other existing branch

gistfile1.sh

create_branch() {
  local ORIGIN_BRANCH="origin/master"
  if [ -z "$1" ] ; then
    echo "branch name is required"
  else
    if [ ! -z "$2" ] ; then
      local ORIGIN_BRANCH="$2"
    fi
    git checkout -b $1 $ORIGIN_BRANCH
    git push -u origin $1:$1
  fi
}

alias branch=create_branch

You can put this in you .bash file (or .zsh in my case).
this allows you from your shell (inside your git repo directory) to call
branch <name>
this creates a local branch that is already tracking a remote branch so that git push has a target.
another variation is branch <name> <remote> in which it will create a new branch based on a remote branch other than master