How to create a git patch from the uncommitted changes in the current working directory without creating a commit?

In Git, you don’t always have to commit your changes before creating a patch. Sometimes you may want to save your uncommitted changes as a patch file to share with a teammate, apply them later, or back them up without affecting the repository history. Luckily, Git makes this possible with a few simple commands.

Here’s how you can do it:

Using git diff

 The git diff command captures differences between your working directory and the last commit. You can redirect this output to a file:

   git diff > changes.patch

 This creates a patch file (changes.patch) containing all your uncommitted changes.

Including staged changes

 If you’ve already staged some files with git add, you can include them with:

   git diff --cached > staged_changes.patch

Combining both staged and unstaged changes

 To save all changes (both staged and unstaged) in one patch:

   git diff HEAD > all_changes.patch

Applying the patch later

 To apply the patch in the same or another repository, you can use:

   git apply changes.patch

 In short, creating a Git patch without committing is as simple as redirecting git diff output into a file. It’s very handy for collaboration, code reviews, or temporary backups without cluttering your commit history.