I was surprised to find out that I could not always capture the output of a command to a file. Some examples:

git add -h > temp.txt          && output captured in file temp.txt
git add > temp.txt             && output NOT captured in file temp.txt
git branch -h > temp.txt       && output NOT captured in file temp.txt
git branch > temp.txt          && output captured in file temp.txt

Searching on the internet I found out that commands have at least two different output streams, STDOUT and STDERR
Also found that with a special command redirection format you can capture both STDOUT and STDERR to a file:

git add > temp.txt 2>&1        && output IS captured in file temp.txt because command output is an error message in STDERR

However, in the case of "git branch -h", GIT sends its output to STDERR, even though it should go to STDOUT !
Did Linus Torvalds (author of GIT) play Trick or Treat on me on this Halloween day?

git branch -h > temp.txt 2>&1  && output IS captured in file temp.txt

Alex