Include current branch in git alias

Question

I have a simple git alias:

shipit = push origin master

Is there any way to detect the current branch?

For example: push origin 'currentbranch'

Answer 1

Use HEAD to reference the current branch.

shipit = push origin HEAD

Answer 2

There might not be a current branch ("detached HEAD" mode, where HEAD contains a raw SHA-1 instead of a branch name).

If there is a current branch, it is stored as a symbolic reference in HEAD:

$ git symbolic-ref HEAD
refs/heads/master
$ git symbolic-ref --short HEAD
master

If HEAD is detached:

$ git symbolic-ref HEAD
fatal: ref HEAD is not a symbolic ref

For the particular case of pushing, as Derek S already answered, you can just use the name HEAD directly. (This works for some other commands too; for those where it's not available, use git symbolic-ref.)