Stashing Changes in Git

What is Stashing?

Stashing in Git lets you temporarily save changes in your working directory that you’re not ready to commit.
It’s like putting your unfinished work in a “drawer” so you can switch branches, pull updates, or do other tasks—then come back and finish later.

Why Use Stash?

• Switch branches safely:
  If you have uncommitted changes but need to switch to another branch, stash lets you save your work without committing.
• Keep your work-in-progress separate:
  Avoid cluttering your commit history with incomplete or experimental changes.
• Handle emergencies:
  If you need to quickly fix something elsewhere, stash your current work and come back to it later.

How Does Stash Work?

When you run git stash, Git saves your changes (tracked files, and optionally untracked files) in a special stack.
Your working directory is then clean, as if you just checked out the branch.

Basic Stash Commands

1. Stash Your Changes

git stash

• Saves your changes and resets your working directory to match the last commit.

2. List All Stashes

git stash list

• Shows all stashed changes, each with an identifier like stash@{0}.

3. Apply the Most Recent Stash

git stash apply

• Restores the latest stashed changes, but keeps them in the stash list.

4. Apply and Remove the Most Recent Stash

git stash pop

• Restores the latest stashed changes and removes them from the stash list.

5. Stash Untracked Files Too

git stash -u

• Includes untracked files (files not yet added with git add).

6. Drop (Delete) a Stash

git stash drop stash@{0}

• Removes a specific stash from the list.

7. Clear All Stashes

git stash clear

• Deletes all stashed changes.

Example Workflow

1. You’re working on a feature but need to switch branches:

   git stash
   git checkout main
   

2. Do your work on main, then return to your feature branch:

   git checkout feature
   git stash pop
   

3. Your changes are restored, and you can continue working.

What Gets Stashed?

• Tracked files:
  Changes to files already being tracked by Git.
• Untracked files:
  Only if you use git stash -u.
• Ignored files:
  Only if you use git stash -a.

When to Use Stash

• Before switching branches with uncommitted changes.
• When you want to pull or merge updates but aren’t ready to commit your work.
• To save experimental changes without committing them.

Caution

• Stashes are stored locally and are not shared with others.
• If you forget about stashed changes, they can pile up—use git stash list to check.
• Always apply or pop your stash on the correct branch to avoid confusion.

Tip:
Stashing is perfect for saving your work-in-progress without cluttering your commit history.
Use it whenever you need to quickly switch