---
slug: "Branch"
name: "Branch"
type: "Primitives"
layer: "Infrastructure"
ref: "Branch#b4aa"
sema_id: "sema:Branch#mh:SHA-256:b4aa8694de2b0da0d33b87e2ad99d1d64741a8d67437ab400a829f566f2ce80d"
tags: ["Infrastructure","Primitives"]
updated: 2026-11-11
mindscape: "bootstrap"
index_url: https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/index.json
url: https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Branch/
related: ["Gate"]
---

# Branch

Conditional flow

Layer: Infrastructure · Category: Primitives

## Mechanism

Conditional fork: if C then A else B. Exactly one arm runs. Distinct from a [Gate](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Gate.md), which decides whether a single payload is admitted: a Branch dispatches to alternative continuations, both of which are defined.

## Invariants

—

## Failure modes

—

## Builds on

- [Gate](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Gate.md) (Infrastructure; References)

## Used by

—

## Identity

- Sema ID: `sema:Branch#mh:SHA-256:b4aa8694de2b0da0d33b87e2ad99d1d64741a8d67437ab400a829f566f2ce80d`
- Ref: `Branch#b4aa`
- Supersedes:
  - `sema:Branch#mh:SHA-256:f46dda4eb763c7f60ed646fa3d0eee2c32e6a5decbb721e61412eb112dd90f29`

## Links

- [Pattern page](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Branch/)
- [View in the interactive graph](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/#Branch)
- [JSON](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Branch.json)
- [Index of all patterns](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/index.json)