What is the intended use-case for git stash?
What is Git stash used for, and how does it help manage your work in progress? How can stashing changes improve your workflow when you need to switch tasks without committing incomplete code?
Git stash is a handy feature that helps developers temporarily save their uncommitted changes without committing them to the repository. It’s especially useful when you’re working on something but suddenly need to switch tasks or branches and don’t want to lose your current progress.
What’s the intended use-case for Git stash?
Imagine you’re in the middle of coding a new feature but then get asked to quickly fix a bug on a different branch. Committing your incomplete feature might not make sense, and discarding your changes isn’t an option either. This is where Git stash comes in handy — it lets you “put aside” your current changes safely and clean your working directory, so you can switch branches or pull updates without conflicts.
Key benefits of Git stash:
- Temporarily saves your uncommitted changes: Both staged and unstaged changes can be stashed away.
- Keeps your working directory clean: Allows you to switch branches or update your code without interference.
- Supports multiple stashes: You can stash changes multiple times and later apply or drop them selectively.
- Safe storage: Your changes are saved but not part of the commit history until you apply them.
Common Git stash commands:
- git stash: Save your current changes and clean the working directory.
- git stash list: View all stashed changes.
- git stash apply: Reapply the most recent stash.
- git stash pop: Reapply and remove the most recent stash.
- git stash drop: Delete a specific stash.
Summary
Git stash is a lifesaver when juggling multiple tasks or interruptions during development. It keeps your work safe without forcing early commits, helping you maintain a clean and flexible workflow.