How can a new branch be created in a version control system?

To create a new branch in the Git version control system, use the command:

git branch <branch_name>

This will create a new branch but will not switch to it. To create and switch to a new branch immediately, use:

git checkout -b <branch_name>

Or in newer versions of Git:

git switch -c <branch_name>

Example:

git checkout -b feature/login

This will create the feature/login branch and switch to it.

Thus, a new branch is created as a pointer to the current commit, allowing parallel development without affecting the main branch.