Understanding Git Operations: Rebase, Merge, Squash, and Cherry-Pick
Git is a versatile tool for version control, allowing multiple developers to work on the same project without conflicts. Among its many features, Git provides several methods for integrating changes between branches, including rebase, merge, squash, and cherry-pick. Each of these methods serves a different purpose and is suited to different workflows. In this article, we'll explore the differences between these commands, complete with examples and log graphs to illustrate their effects.
1. Git Merge
Definition: Merging is the most common way to integrate changes from one Git branch into another. It combines the histories of the merged branches, preserving the context of each branch's changes relative to the main project.
Example:
Suppose you have two branches: main
and feature
. The feature
branch has diverged with additional commits that are not in main
. If you want to incorporate these changes into main
, you would perform a merge.
bashgit checkout main git merge feature
Log Graph:
markdown* c8 (main) Merge branch 'feature' |\ | * c7 (feature) Add feature | * c6 Enhance feature * | c5 Edit README * | c4 Fix bug
2. Git Rebase
Definition: Rebasing is a process to move or "rebase" a series of commits to a new base commit. Rebase makes it easier to understand the history by creating a linear sequence of commits.
Example:
If the feature
branch is based on an outdated commit of main
, you can rebase it onto the latest main
branch commit.
bashgit checkout feature
git rebase main
Log Graph:
markdown* c9 (feature) Enhance feature
* c8 Add feature
* c7 (main) Fix bug
* c6 Edit README
3. Git Squash
Definition: Squashing in Git is the process of combining multiple commits into a single commit. This is useful for keeping your history clean and understandable.
Example:
Suppose you have made several commits in the feature
branch that should be combined into one before merging into main
.
bashgit checkout feature
git rebase -i main
In the interactive rebase screen, you can choose to squash the commits into one.
Log Graph:
scss* c5 (feature) Implement feature (squashed from c2, c3, c4)
* c1 (main) Initial commit
4. Git Cherry-Pick
Definition: Cherry-picking in Git allows you to select a specific commit from one branch and apply it onto another branch. This is useful for applying bug fixes or other single-commit changes without merging a whole branch.
Example:
You want to apply commit c3
from the feature
branch to the main
branch.
bashgit checkout main git cherry-pick c3
Log Graph:
markdown* c6 (main) Apply feature enhancement from feature branch
* c5 Fix bug
* c4 Edit README
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