World 3: Parallel Universes

Put work aside with stash

You will learn: to park half-done work, switch branches, and get it back.

The problem

bash

git switch main

error: Your local changes to the following files would be overwritten by checkout:

style.css

Please commit your changes or stash them before you switch branches.

Aborting

Dark mode is half done. Then: an urgent fix on main! Git won’t let you switch. Now what?

Watch

git stash puts unfinished changes in a drawer. Your folder is clean again, so you can switch. The drawer is the .

Try it

Put your work in the drawer. Then switch to main.

Working folder

Staging area

Empty

Repository

4 save points
Start dark mode
Add style
Add day 1 page

Hint

Two commands: git stash, then git switch main.

Watch

~/diary $ git stashSaved working directory and index state WIP on dark-mode: 2e1b6b1 Start dark mode~/diary $ git stash popOn branch dark-modeChanges not staged for commit:  (use "git add <file>..." to update what will be committed)  (use "git restore <file>..." to discard changes in working directory)        modified:   style.cssno changes added to commit (use "git add" and/or "git commit -a")Dropped refs/stash@{0} (019f9dcc44c3bbf75b2a3c793747f47c00b90299)

Done with the fix? git stash pop takes the newest work out of the drawer. It lands in your folder again.

Try it

You fixed main. Go back to dark-mode and take your work out of the drawer.

Working folder

Empty

Staging area

Empty

Repository

4 save points
Fix home page title
Add style
Add day 1 page

Hint

Switch first. Then git stash pop.

Predict

You stash twice, then pop once. Which work comes out?

Check

Here is a drawer with two entries.

Tap the entry that git stash pop takes out.

~/diary $ git stash list

0 of 1 found

You did it!

You can now put work aside and get it back later.

Go deeper (optional)

git stash -u also takes new, untracked files. git stash push -m "note" adds a label. git stash apply puts work back but keeps a copy in the drawer. git stash drop throws one away for good. A pop can clash with newer changes. Then the markers say Updated upstream and Stashed changes.