# [PATCH 3/6] Improve error message for branching an existing branch

1 messages from 2009-02-19 to 2009-02-19. Participants: John Tapsell.
Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/17890

## John Tapsell, 2009-02-19 07:36

Subject: [PATCH 3/6] Improve error message for branching an existing branch
Message-ID: <200902190736.24402.johnflux@gmail.com>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/200902190736.24402.johnflux%40gmail.com

```
Signed-off-by: John Tapsell <johnflux@gmail.com>
---
 branch.c |    3 ++-
 1 files changed, 2 insertions(+), 1 deletions(-)

diff --git a/branch.c b/branch.c
index 1f00e44..86ac293 100644
--- a/branch.c
+++ b/branch.c
@@ -120,7 +120,8 @@ void create_branch(const char *head,
 
 	if (resolve_ref(ref.buf, sha1, 1, NULL)) {
 		if (!force)
-			die("A branch named '%s' already exists.", name);
+			die("A branch named '%s' already exists.\n"
+			    "Maybe you wanted to change to this branch with: git checkout '%s'", name, name);
 		else if (!is_bare_repository() && !strcmp(head, name))
 			die("Cannot force update the current branch.");
 		forcing = 1;
-- 
1.6.2.rc1.3.g7d31b.dirty

```