Advanced Git Commands

Interactive Rebase: Rewriting History Like a Pro

git rebase -i (interactive rebase) lets you rewrite commit history before sharing it with others.

Common Use Cases:

• Squashing multiple commits into one
• Rewording commit messages
• Reordering commits
• Dropping or editing specific commits

How to Use It:

# Rebase last 5 commits
git rebase -i HEAD~5

This opens an editor with commands for each commit:

pick a1b2c3d Add user authentication
squash b2c3d4e Fix typo in login form
reword c3d4e5f Update README
drop d4e5f6g Debug statements

Important Notes:

• Only use on local branches - rewriting shared history can cause problems
• Backup your branch first (git branch backup-branch)
• After rebasing, you'll need to force push (git push --force-with-lease) if the branch was already pushed

Cherry-picking Commits: Selective Change Application

git cherry-pick applies a specific commit from one branch to another.

When to Use Cherry-picking:

• Applying a hotfix to multiple branches
• Moving a specific feature without merging entire branches
• Recovering lost commits from deleted branches

Basic Usage:

# Identify the commit hash you want to apply
git log --oneline feature/branch

# Cherry-pick it to your current branch
git cherry-pick a1b2c3d

Advanced Options:

# Cherry-pick without auto-committing
git cherry-pick -n a1b2c3d

# Cherry-pick a range of commits
git cherry-pick a1b2c3d..e5f6g7h

# Resolve conflicts and continue
git cherry-pick --continue

Warning: Cherry-picking creates duplicate commits with new hashes. Overuse can make history harder to follow.

Git Stash: The Temporary Storage Drawer

git stash temporarily shelves changes so you can switch contexts.

Basic Stash Workflow:

# Save current changes
git stash push -m "Work in progress on feature X"

# View your stashes
git stash list

# Apply most recent stash and keep it in stash list
git stash apply

# Apply and remove from stash list
git stash pop

# Apply a specific stash
git stash apply stash@{2}

Advanced Stash Techniques:

• Stash specific files: git stash push path/to/file
• Include untracked files: git stash -u
• Create a branch from stash: git stash branch new-branch stash@{1}
• View stash diff: git stash show -p stash@{0}

Stash Management:

# Clear all stashes
git stash clear

# Drop a specific stash
git stash drop stash@{1}

# Create a permanent branch from stash
git stash branch rescue-branch stash@{3}

Pro Tip: Name your stashes clearly (-m "message") as they can accumulate quickly!

Choosing the Right Tool

Situation	Recommended Command
Clean up local commits before pushing	git rebase -i
Apply one specific fix to multiple branches	git cherry-pick
Switch branches with uncommitted changes	git stash
Combine several small commits into one	git rebase -i (squash)
Recover work from a deleted branch	git cherry-pick or git stash branch

Mastering Git's Power Tools

These advanced commands give you surgical control over your repository. Remember:

• Interactive rebase is for local history cleanup
• Cherry-pick is for targeted commit movement
• Stash is for temporary change storage

With great power comes great responsibility - use these commands judiciously, especially when working with shared branches.