Output of git branch in tree like fashion

It's not quite what you asked for, but

git log --graph --simplify-by-decoration --pretty=format:'%d' --all

does a pretty good job. It shows tags and remote branches as well. This may not be desirable for everyone, but I find it useful. --simplifiy-by-decoration is the big trick here for limiting the refs shown.

I use a similar command to view my log. I've been able to completely replace my gitk usage with it:

git log --graph --oneline --decorate --all

I use it by including these aliases in my ~/.gitconfig file:

[alias]
    l = log --graph --oneline --decorate
    ll = log --graph --oneline --decorate --branches --tags
    lll = log --graph --oneline --decorate --all

Edit: Updated suggested log command/aliases to use simpler option flags.

The answer below uses git log:

I mentioned a similar approach in 2009 with "Unable to show a Git tree in terminal":

git log --graph --pretty=oneline --abbrev-commit

But the full one I have been using is in "How to display the tag name and branch name using git log --graph" (2011):

git config --global alias.lgb "log --graph --pretty=format:'%Cred%h%Creset -%C(yellow)%d%Creset %s %Cgreen(%cr) %C(bold blue)<%an>%Creset%n' --abbrev-commit --date=relative --branches"

git lgb

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Original answer (2010)

git show-branch --list comes close of what you are looking for (with the topo order)

--topo-order

By default, the branches and their commits are shown in reverse chronological order.
This option makes them appear in topological order (i.e., descendant commits are shown before their parents).

But the tool git wtf can help too. Example:

$ git wtf
Local branch: master
[ ] NOT in sync with remote (needs push)
    - Add before-search hook, for shortcuts for custom search queries. [4430d1b] (edwardzyang@...; 7 days ago)
Remote branch: origin/master ([email protected]:sup/mainline.git)
[x] in sync with local

Feature branches:
{ } origin/release-0.8.1 is NOT merged in (1 commit ahead)
    - bump to 0.8.1 [dab43fb] (wmorgan-sup@...; 2 days ago)
[ ] labels-before-subj is NOT merged in (1 commit ahead)
    - put labels before subject in thread index view [790b64d] (marka@...; 4 weeks ago)
{x} origin/enclosed-message-display-tweaks merged in
(x) experiment merged in (only locally)

NOTE: working directory contains modified files

git-wtf shows you:

• How your branch relates to the remote repo, if it's a tracking branch.
• How your branch relates to non-feature ("version") branches, if it's a feature branch.
• How your branch relates to the feature branches, if it's a version branch