Hello. In this tutorial, we will talk about Git and git stash.
1. What is Git?
- Git is a version control system used in software development to manage and track changes to code over time.
- It was created by Linus Torvalds, the creator of Linux, in 2005 and has become a popular tool in software development.
- Git allows developers to create and manage multiple branches of code, making it easier to experiment and collaborate without affecting the main codebase.
- It provides features for merging changes from different branches, resolving conflicts, and reviewing code changes before they are merged into the main codebase.
- Git provides a safety net for development by allowing developers to easily revert to a previous version of their code if something goes wrong.
- Git can be integrated with other tools and services, such as continuous integration and deployment systems, making it an important part of modern software development workflows.
- Overall, Git is important because it provides an efficient and reliable way for developers to manage and collaborate on code, helping to streamline the software development process and improve code quality.
1.1 Benefits of using Git
- Git allows for efficient management and tracking of changes to code over time.
- Developers can create and manage multiple branches of code, making it easier to experiment and collaborate without affecting the main codebase.
- Git provides features for merging changes from different branches, resolving conflicts, and reviewing code changes before they are merged into the main codebase.
- Developers can easily revert to a previous version of their code if something goes wrong, providing a safety net for development.
- Git can be integrated with other tools and services, such as continuous integration and deployment systems, making it an important part of modern software development workflows.
- Using Git can improve code quality by providing an efficient and reliable way for developers to manage and collaborate on code.
- Git allows for easier collaboration among developers, making it easier to work on large projects with distributed teams.
2. What is git stash?
git stash is a command in the Git version control system that allows you to temporarily save changes in your working directory that are not ready to be committed. The git stash command takes all the changes in your working directory that are not yet committed and save them in a stack of temporary commits. This stack is called the “stash”. The stash is stored locally on your machine and is not pushed to the remote repository.
2.1 When to use git stash?
You can use git stash when you need to temporarily save changes in your working directory that are not yet ready to be committed or when you need to switch to a different branch or commit but do not want to commit the changes you have made in the current branch yet. Here are some specific scenarios where git stash can be useful:
- Switching to a different branch: If you have made changes to your working directory but you need to switch to a different branch, you can use
git stashto save your changes temporarily. After switching to the other branch, you can apply the saved changes usinggit stash applyorgit stash pop. - Pulling changes from a remote repository: If you need to pull changes from a remote repository but you have uncommitted changes in your working directory, you can use git stash to save your changes temporarily. After pulling the changes from the remote repository, you can apply the saved changes using
git stash applyorgit stash pop. - Resolving merge conflicts: If you encounter merge conflicts when merging changes from one branch to another, you can use git stash to temporarily save your changes and then resolve the conflicts. After resolving the conflicts, you can apply the saved changes using
git stash applyorgit stash pop. - Saving work in progress: If you are working on a complex feature or bug fix and you want to save your work in progress, you can use git stash to temporarily save your changes. This allows you to switch to another task or take a break without losing your work.
2.2 Pros and Cons of git stash
2.2 Pros of git stash
- Temporarily saving changes:
git stashallows you to save changes in your working directory temporarily without committing them. This can be useful if you need to switch to a different branch or commit, but you are not ready to commit your changes yet. - Easy to use: The
git stashcommand is easy to use and does not require a lot of setup or configuration. - Flexible:
git stashprovides various options to customize the behavior of the command, such as specifying which files to stash or giving a name to the stash. - Local: The stash is stored locally on your machine and is not pushed to the remote repository. This means you can use
git stashto save changes without affecting the remote repository. - Saves time:
git stashcan save you time by allowing you to switch between branches or commits quickly, without losing your work in progress. - Resolves conflicts:
git stashcan help you resolve merge conflicts by temporarily saving your changes and allowing you to switch to another branch or commit to resolve the conflicts.
2.3 Cons of git stash
- Potential conflicts: If you have made changes to the same files in the branch or commit you are stashing to, you may encounter conflicts when you try to apply the stash. This can be resolved by manually resolving the conflicts, but it can be time-consuming and may require additional work.
- Easy to forget: Because stashes are not committed and are stored locally, it can be easy to forget that you have a stash saved. This can lead to confusion and potential loss of work if you switch to a different branch or commit and forget to apply the stash.
- Potential data loss: If you accidentally run
git stash dropinstead ofgit stash apply, you may lose the changes you have stashed. Additionally, if your computer crashes or experiences data loss, any stash that you have not pushed or backed up may be lost. - Can complicate history: Using stashes can complicate your commit history and make it harder to understand what changes were made when and why. This is especially true if you have multiple stashes or if you are stashing changes frequently.
- Not a substitute for committing: While stashing changes can be useful for temporarily saving work in progress or switching between branches, it is not a substitute for committing changes. Commits provide a permanent record of changes and can be useful for collaboration and tracking progress.
2.4 How to use git stash?
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use git stash:
- Step 1: Make changes to the files in your working directory.
- Step 2: Run the command
git stash. This will save your changes into a stash, which you can apply later. - Step 3: If you have made multiple stashes and want to see a list of them, run the command
git stash list. This will show you a list of all the stashes you have created. - Step 4: To apply the most recent stash, run the command
git stash apply. This will apply to the most recent stash and remove it from the stash list. If you want to apply a specific stash other than the most recent one, you can specify the stash by its name or index, likegit stash apply stash@{2}. - Step 5: If you want to apply the stash and keep it in the stash list for later use, run the command
git stash apply --keep. - Step 6: If you want to remove the most recent stash without applying it, run the command
git stash drop. - Step 7: If you want to remove a specific stash without applying it, run the command
git stash drop stash@{2}. - Step 8: If you want to apply the most recent stash and remove it from the stash list, run the command
git stash pop. - Step 9: If you want to temporarily apply a stash without removing it from the stash list, run the command
git stash apply --index. This will apply the stash and keep the changes staged in the index, allowing you to further modify and commit them. - Step 10: If you want to create a new stash with a name, run the command
git stash save "stash message".
That concludes this tutorial, and I hope that it provided you with the information you were seeking. Enjoy your learning journey, and don’t forget to share!
3. Conclusion
In conclusion, git stash is a useful command in Git that allows you to temporarily save changes in your working directory without committing them. It can be helpful when you need to switch branches, pull changes from a remote repository, or make a quick fix to a different part of the codebase. The stashed changes are saved in a stack, and you can apply, pop, or drop stashes as needed. Using git stash can help you work more efficiently and avoid losing changes or creating unnecessary commits. However, it’s important to remember that git stash is not a replacement for proper commit history, and should only be used for temporary storage of changes.
