Documentation/git-stash.txt

   1 git-stash(1)
   2 ============
   3
   4 NAME
   5 ----
   6 git-stash - Stash the changes in a dirty working directory away
   7
   8 SYNOPSIS
   9 --------
  10 [verse]
  11 'git stash' list [<options>]
  12 'git stash' ( show | drop ) [<stash>]
  13 'git stash' ( pop | apply ) [--index] [<stash>]
  14 'git stash' branch <branchname> [<stash>]
  15 'git stash' [save [--keep-index] [<message>]]
  16 'git stash' clear
  17 'git stash' create
  18
  19 DESCRIPTION
  20 -----------
  21
  22 Use 'git stash' when you want to record the current state of the
  23 working directory and the index, but want to go back to a clean
  24 working directory.  The command saves your local modifications away
  25 and reverts the working directory to match the `HEAD` commit.
  26
  27 The modifications stashed away by this command can be listed with
  28 `git stash list`, inspected with `git stash show`, and restored
  29 (potentially on top of a different commit) with `git stash apply`.
  30 Calling `git stash` without any arguments is equivalent to `git stash save`.
  31 A stash is by default listed as "WIP on 'branchname' ...", but
  32 you can give a more descriptive message on the command line when
  33 you create one.
  34
  35 The latest stash you created is stored in `$GIT_DIR/refs/stash`; older
  36 stashes are found in the reflog of this reference and can be named using
  37 the usual reflog syntax (e.g. `stash@\{0}` is the most recently
  38 created stash, `stash@\{1}` is the one before it, `stash@\{2.hours.ago}`
  39 is also possible).
  40
  41 OPTIONS
  42 -------
  43
  44 save [--keep-index] [<message>]::
  45
  46         Save your local modifications to a new 'stash', and run `git reset
  47         --hard` to revert them.  This is the default action when no
  48         subcommand is given. The <message> part is optional and gives
  49         the description along with the stashed state.
  50 +
  51 If the `--keep-index` option is used, all changes already added to the
  52 index are left intact.
  53
  54 list [<options>]::
  55
  56         List the stashes that you currently have.  Each 'stash' is listed
  57         with its name (e.g. `stash@\{0}` is the latest stash, `stash@\{1}` is
  58         the one before, etc.), the name of the branch that was current when the
  59         stash was made, and a short description of the commit the stash was
  60         based on.
  61 +
  62 ----------------------------------------------------------------
  63 stash@{0}: WIP on submit: 6ebd0e2... Update git-stash documentation
  64 stash@{1}: On master: 9cc0589... Add git-stash
  65 ----------------------------------------------------------------
  66 +
  67 The command takes options applicable to the 'git-log'
  68 command to control what is shown and how. See linkgit:git-log[1].
  69
  70 show [<stash>]::
  71
  72         Show the changes recorded in the stash as a diff between the
  73         stashed state and its original parent. When no `<stash>` is given,
  74         shows the latest one. By default, the command shows the diffstat, but
  75         it will accept any format known to 'git-diff' (e.g., `git stash show
  76         -p stash@\{1}` to view the second most recent stash in patch form).
  77
  78 pop [<stash>]::
  79
  80         Remove a single stashed state from the stash list and apply it
  81         on top of the current working tree state, i.e., do the inverse
  82         operation of `git stash save`. The working directory must
  83         match the index.
  84 +
  85 Applying the state can fail with conflicts; in this case, it is not
  86 removed from the stash list. You need to resolve the conflicts by hand
  87 and call `git stash drop` manually afterwards.
  88 +
  89 If the `--index` option is used, then tries to reinstate not only the working
  90 tree's changes, but also the index's ones. However, this can fail, when you
  91 have conflicts (which are stored in the index, where you therefore can no
  92 longer apply the changes as they were originally).
  93 +
  94 When no `<stash>` is given, `stash@\{0}` is assumed.
  95
  96 apply [--index] [<stash>]::
  97
  98         Like `pop`, but do not remove the state from the stash list.
  99
 100 branch <branchname> [<stash>]::
 101
 102         Creates and checks out a new branch named `<branchname>` starting from
 103         the commit at which the `<stash>` was originally created, applies the
 104         changes recorded in `<stash>` to the new working tree and index, then
 105         drops the `<stash>` if that completes successfully. When no `<stash>`
 106         is given, applies the latest one.
 107 +
 108 This is useful if the branch on which you ran `git stash save` has
 109 changed enough that `git stash apply` fails due to conflicts. Since
 110 the stash is applied on top of the commit that was HEAD at the time
 111 `git stash` was run, it restores the originally stashed state with
 112 no conflicts.
 113
 114 clear::
 115         Remove all the stashed states. Note that those states will then
 116         be subject to pruning, and may be difficult or impossible to recover.
 117
 118 drop [<stash>]::
 119
 120         Remove a single stashed state from the stash list. When no `<stash>`
 121         is given, it removes the latest one. i.e. `stash@\{0}`
 122
 123 create::
 124
 125         Create a stash (which is a regular commit object) and return its
 126         object name, without storing it anywhere in the ref namespace.
 127
 128
 129 DISCUSSION
 130 ----------
 131
 132 A stash is represented as a commit whose tree records the state of the
 133 working directory, and its first parent is the commit at `HEAD` when
 134 the stash was created.  The tree of the second parent records the
 135 state of the index when the stash is made, and it is made a child of
 136 the `HEAD` commit.  The ancestry graph looks like this:
 137
 138             .----W
 139            /    /
 140      -----H----I
 141
 142 where `H` is the `HEAD` commit, `I` is a commit that records the state
 143 of the index, and `W` is a commit that records the state of the working
 144 tree.
 145
 146
 147 EXAMPLES
 148 --------
 149
 150 Pulling into a dirty tree::
 151
 152 When you are in the middle of something, you learn that there are
 153 upstream changes that are possibly relevant to what you are
 154 doing.  When your local changes do not conflict with the changes in
 155 the upstream, a simple `git pull` will let you move forward.
 156 +
 157 However, there are cases in which your local changes do conflict with
 158 the upstream changes, and `git pull` refuses to overwrite your
 159 changes.  In such a case, you can stash your changes away,
 160 perform a pull, and then unstash, like this:
 161 +
 162 ----------------------------------------------------------------
 163 $ git pull
 164  ...
 165 file foobar not up to date, cannot merge.
 166 $ git stash
 167 $ git pull
 168 $ git stash pop
 169 ----------------------------------------------------------------
 170
 171 Interrupted workflow::
 172
 173 When you are in the middle of something, your boss comes in and
 174 demands that you fix something immediately.  Traditionally, you would
 175 make a commit to a temporary branch to store your changes away, and
 176 return to your original branch to make the emergency fix, like this:
 177 +
 178 ----------------------------------------------------------------
 179 # ... hack hack hack ...
 180 $ git checkout -b my_wip
 181 $ git commit -a -m "WIP"
 182 $ git checkout master
 183 $ edit emergency fix
 184 $ git commit -a -m "Fix in a hurry"
 185 $ git checkout my_wip
 186 $ git reset --soft HEAD^
 187 # ... continue hacking ...
 188 ----------------------------------------------------------------
 189 +
 190 You can use 'git-stash' to simplify the above, like this:
 191 +
 192 ----------------------------------------------------------------
 193 # ... hack hack hack ...
 194 $ git stash
 195 $ edit emergency fix
 196 $ git commit -a -m "Fix in a hurry"
 197 $ git stash pop
 198 # ... continue hacking ...
 199 ----------------------------------------------------------------
 200
 201 Testing partial commits::
 202
 203 You can use `git stash save --keep-index` when you want to make two or
 204 more commits out of the changes in the work tree, and you want to test
 205 each change before committing:
 206 +
 207 ----------------------------------------------------------------
 208 # ... hack hack hack ...
 209 $ git add --patch foo            # add just first part to the index
 210 $ git stash save --keep-index    # save all other changes to the stash
 211 $ edit/build/test first part
 212 $ git commit -m 'First part'     # commit fully tested change
 213 $ git stash pop                  # prepare to work on all other changes
 214 # ... repeat above five steps until one commit remains ...
 215 $ edit/build/test remaining parts
 216 $ git commit foo -m 'Remaining parts'
 217 ----------------------------------------------------------------
 218
 219 SEE ALSO
 220 --------
 221 linkgit:git-checkout[1],
 222 linkgit:git-commit[1],
 223 linkgit:git-reflog[1],
 224 linkgit:git-reset[1]
 225
 226 AUTHOR
 227 ------
 228 Written by Nanako Shiraishi <nanako3@bluebottle.com>
 229
 230 GIT
 231 ---
 232 Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite