From 7ee47064c4fd94e6660e90c664cea7594ab2b9a7 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Marcel Gotsch <gotschmarcel@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 1 Feb 2026 14:54:22 +0100
Subject: [PATCH] feat: ability to specify the starting point of a new branch

Checking out a new branch will first ask for the starting point, defaulting
to the current branch. Only after it will ask for the name of the new branch.
---
 src/ops/branch.rs                             | 23 ++++++++++++++---
 src/tests/branch.rs                           |  7 +++++-
 ...u__tests__branch__checkout_new_branch.snap |  4 +--
 ...anch__checkout_new_branch_start_point.snap | 25 +++++++++++++++++++
 4 files changed, 52 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-)
 create mode 100644 src/tests/snapshots/gitu__tests__branch__checkout_new_branch_start_point.snap

diff --git a/src/ops/branch.rs b/src/ops/branch.rs
index 825234982d..46df5b4fdf 100644
--- a/src/ops/branch.rs
+++ b/src/ops/branch.rs
@@ -53,15 +53,25 @@ pub(crate) struct CheckoutNewBranch;
 impl OpTrait for CheckoutNewBranch {
     fn get_action(&self, _target: &ItemData) -> Option<Action> {
         Some(Rc::new(|app: &mut App, term: &mut Term| {
+            let default_start_point = get_current_branch_name(&app.state.repo)?;
+            let start_point = app.prompt(
+                term,
+                &PromptParams {
+                    prompt: "Create and checkout branch starting at:",
+                    create_default_value: Box::new(move |_app| Some(default_start_point.clone())),
+                    ..Default::default()
+                },
+            )?;
+
             let branch_name = app.prompt(
                 term,
                 &PromptParams {
-                    prompt: "Create and checkout branch:",
+                    prompt: "Name for new branch:",
                     ..Default::default()
                 },
             )?;
 
-            checkout_new_branch_prompt_update(app, term, &branch_name)?;
+            checkout_new_branch_prompt_update(app, term, &start_point, &branch_name)?;
             Ok(())
         }))
     }
@@ -71,9 +81,14 @@ impl OpTrait for CheckoutNewBranch {
     }
 }
 
-fn checkout_new_branch_prompt_update(app: &mut App, term: &mut Term, branch_name: &str) -> Res<()> {
+fn checkout_new_branch_prompt_update(
+    app: &mut App,
+    term: &mut Term,
+    start_point: &str,
+    branch_name: &str,
+) -> Res<()> {
     let mut cmd = Command::new("git");
-    cmd.args(["checkout", "-b", branch_name]);
+    cmd.args(["checkout", "-b", branch_name, start_point]);
 
     app.close_menu();
     app.run_cmd(term, &[], cmd)?;
diff --git a/src/tests/branch.rs b/src/tests/branch.rs
index ce189cf4d1..e6f67b2f67 100644
--- a/src/tests/branch.rs
+++ b/src/tests/branch.rs
@@ -25,7 +25,12 @@ fn switch_branch_input() {
 
 #[test]
 fn checkout_new_branch() {
-    snapshot!(setup(setup_clone!()), "bcnew<enter>");
+    snapshot!(setup(setup_clone!()), "bc<enter>new<enter>");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn checkout_new_branch_start_point() {
+    snapshot!(setup(setup_clone!()), "bcunmerged<enter>new<enter>");
 }
 
 #[test]
diff --git a/src/tests/snapshots/gitu__tests__branch__checkout_new_branch.snap b/src/tests/snapshots/gitu__tests__branch__checkout_new_branch.snap
index 3b0cc6f1ef..1322791533 100644
--- a/src/tests/snapshots/gitu__tests__branch__checkout_new_branch.snap
+++ b/src/tests/snapshots/gitu__tests__branch__checkout_new_branch.snap
@@ -20,6 +20,6 @@ expression: ctx.redact_buffer()
                                                                                 |
                                                                                 |
 ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────|
-$ git checkout -b new                                                           |
+$ git checkout -b new main                                                      |
 Switched to a new branch 'new'                                                  |
-styles_hash: 2afc72138214b087
+styles_hash: 51d00da50a627344
diff --git a/src/tests/snapshots/gitu__tests__branch__checkout_new_branch_start_point.snap b/src/tests/snapshots/gitu__tests__branch__checkout_new_branch_start_point.snap
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a5dd1e5697
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests/snapshots/gitu__tests__branch__checkout_new_branch_start_point.snap
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+---
+source: src/tests/branch.rs
+expression: ctx.redact_buffer()
+---
+▌On branch new                                                                  |
+                                                                                |
+ Recent commits                                                                 |
+ c84f226 new unmerged add first commit                                          |
+ b66a0bf main merged origin/main add initial-file                               |
+                                                                                |
+                                                                                |
+                                                                                |
+                                                                                |
+                                                                                |
+                                                                                |
+                                                                                |
+                                                                                |
+                                                                                |
+                                                                                |
+                                                                                |
+                                                                                |
+────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────|
+$ git checkout -b new unmerged                                                  |
+Switched to a new branch 'new'                                                  |
+styles_hash: 64b6fb8b841715c1