How to use the command 'git stash' (with examples)
Git stash is a useful command that allows you to temporarily save your local changes in a separate area, without committing them. This is helpful when you need to switch to a different branch or perform other tasks without losing your current changes. The git stash command provides various options for stashing and managing your changes.
Use case 1: Stash current changes, except new (untracked) files
Code:
git stash push -m optional_stash_message
Motivation:
- You have made some changes to your codebase and want to temporarily save them before switching to a different branch.
- You do not want to stash any new untracked files.
Explanation:
push: Pushes the stash onto the stash stack.-m optional_stash_message: Specifies an optional message for the stash.
Example output:
Saved working directory and index state WIP on feature/branch: optional_stash_message
Use case 2: Stash current changes, including new (untracked) files
Code:
git stash -u
Motivation:
- Similar to the previous use case, you want to stash your changes before switching branches.
- You also want to include any new untracked files in the stash.
Explanation:
-u: Stashes both tracked and untracked files.
Example output:
Saved working directory and index state WIP on feature/branch: optional_stash_message
Use case 3: Interactively select parts of changed files for stashing
Code:
git stash -p
Motivation:
- You have made changes to multiple files and want to selectively stash only parts of those changes.
- This can be useful when you want to separate unrelated changes from each other.
Explanation:
-p: Allows you to choose which changes to include in the stash. Git will interactively prompt you to select individual hunk changes.
Example output:
diff --git a/file1.txt b/file1.txt
index abc123..def456 100644
--- a/file1.txt
+++ b/file1.txt
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-Hello
+Hi
World
Use case 4: List all stashes
Code:
git stash list
Motivation:
- You want to see a list of all the stashes you have created.
- This allows you to keep track of your saved changes.
Explanation:
list: Displays a list of all stashes, including the stash name, related branch, and message.
Example output:
stash@{0}: On feature/branch: optional_stash_message
stash@{1}: On feature/branch: another_stash_message
Use case 5: Show the changes as a patch between the stash and the commit back when stash entry was first created
Code:
git stash show -p stash@{0}
Motivation:
- You want to see the changes made to a specific stash in detail.
- This can help you understand the changes before applying or removing the stash.
Explanation:
show: Shows the changes made in the stash. By default, it shows the latest stash, but you can specify a particular stash using the stash name.-p: Displays the changes as a patch.
Example output:
diff --git a/file1.txt b/file1.txt
index abc123..def456 100644
--- a/file1.txt
+++ b/file1.txt
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-Hello
+Hi
World
Use case 6: Apply a stash
Code:
git stash apply {{optional_stash_name_or_commit}}
Motivation:
- You want to apply a specific stash to your current working directory.
- This allows you to bring back the saved changes.
Explanation:
apply: Applies the changes from the specified stash to the current working directory. By default, it applies the latest stash, but you can specify a particular stash using the stash name or commit.
Example output:
On branch feature/branch
Changes not staged for commit:
modified: file1.txt
Use case 7: Drop or apply a stash and remove it from the stash list if applying doesn’t cause conflicts
Code:
git stash pop {{optional_stash_name}}
Motivation:
- You want to apply a specific stash to your current working directory, and if there are no conflicts, remove it from the stash list.
- This is useful when you no longer need the stash and want a clean stash list.
Explanation:
pop: Applies the changes from the specified stash to the current working directory and removes the stash from the stash list if applying doesn’t cause conflicts.
Example output:
On branch feature/branch
Changes not staged for commit:
modified: file1.txt
Use case 8: Drop all stashes
Code:
git stash clear
Motivation:
- You want to remove all stashes from the stash list.
- This is useful when you no longer need any of the saved changes.
Explanation:
clear: Removes all stashes from the stash list.
Example output:
No output, the stash list is empty.
