Deleting Squashed Branches in Git (with examples)

Use Case 1: Deleting squash-merged branches in the current checked out branch

Code

git delete-squashed-branches

Motivation

The motivation for using this command is to clean up the local repository by deleting branches that have been squash-merged into the current checked out branch. Squash-merging can be used to combine multiple commits into a single commit, thus reducing the clutter in branch history. However, after squash-merging, the original branches are no longer needed and can be safely deleted.

Explanation

The git delete-squashed-branches command is part of the git-extras tool. When executed without specifying a branch name, it will delete all branches that have been squash-merged into the currently checked out branch. This command uses the reflog to determine which branches have been squash-merged.

Example Output

Deleting branch feature-branch-1 (was abcdef1).
Deleting branch feature-branch-2 (was abcdef2).
Deleted branch feature-branch-1 (was abcdef1).
Deleted branch feature-branch-2 (was abcdef2).

Use Case 2: Deleting squash-merged branches in a specific branch

Code

git delete-squashed-branches branch_name

Motivation

The motivation for using this command is to delete branches that have been squash-merged into a specific branch. This can be useful when you want to clean up a specific branch or are working on a feature branch and want to remove any branches that have already been merged into it.

Explanation

By specifying the branch_name argument after the git delete-squashed-branches command, you can target a specific branch to delete the squash-merged branches from. This command will delete all branches that have been squash-merged into the specified branch.

Example Output

Deleting branch feature-branch-3 (was abcdef3).
Deleting branch feature-branch-4 (was abcdef4).
Deleted branch feature-branch-3 (was abcdef3).
Deleted branch feature-branch-4 (was abcdef4).

Conclusion

The git delete-squashed-branches command is a convenient tool for cleaning up branches that have been squash-merged. By using this command, you can easily remove unnecessary branches from your local repository, reducing clutter and improving readability. Whether you want to delete squash-merged branches in the current checked out branch or a specific branch, this command provides a simple and efficient solution.