**Course Title:** Version Control Systems: Mastering Git **Section Title:** Advanced Git Techniques **Topic:** Stashing changes: `git stash` and `git stash pop` **Overview** In this topic, you'll learn about the `git stash` command and how to use it to temporarily store changes, allowing you to switch between branches or pull changes without losing your work-in-progress. We'll also cover `git stash pop`, which helps you reapply the stashed changes to your working directory. **What is `git stash`?** `git stash` is a command that saves your changes to a special stack, called the stash, without creating a commit. This is useful when you're working on a feature and need to switch to another branch or pull changes, but you're not ready to commit your work. **Why Use `git stash`?** Using `git stash` has several benefits: * **Avoid conflicts**: Stashing your changes allows you to switch branches or pull changes without conflicts. * **Keep your workspace clean**: You can stash your changes and clean your working directory, making it easier to work on other tasks. * **Save your progress**: Stashing your changes saves your work-in-progress, so you can come back to it later. **Basic Usage of `git stash`** Here's an example of how to use `git stash`: 1. Make some changes to your files. 2. Run `git add` to stage the changes (optional). 3. Run `git stash` to stash the changes. For example: ```bash $ git status On branch feature/new-feature Changes to be committed: (use "git restore --staged <file>..." to unstage) modified: hello.txt $ git stash Saved working directory and index state WIP on feature/new-feature: 4d59b35 Update README HEAD is now at 4d59b35 Update README ``` **Listing and Applying Stashes** To list all your stashes, use `git stash list`: ```bash $ git stash list stash@{0}: WIP on feature/new-feature: 4d59b35 Update README ``` To apply a stash, use `git stash apply`: ```bash $ git stash apply stash@{0} On branch feature/new-feature Changes to be committed: (use "git restore --staged <file>..." to unstage) modified: hello.txt ``` **`git stash pop`** `git stash pop` is similar to `git stash apply`, but it also removes the stash from the list. Here's an example: ```bash $ git stash list stash@{0}: WIP on feature/new-feature: 4d59b35 Update README $ git stash pop On branch feature/new-feature Changes to be committed: (use "git restore --staged <file>..." to unstage) modified: hello.txt $ git stash list # Empty list ``` **Tips and Best Practices** * Use `git stash` when you need to temporarily save your changes. * Use `git stash pop` when you want to reapply the stashed changes and remove the stash from the list. * Consider using `git stash` with a descriptive message, like `git stash save "feature/new-feature: WIP"`. * Be mindful of the stash list, as it can grow large if you're not careful. You can use `git stash drop` to remove stashes. **Example Use Case** Suppose you're working on a feature branch and you've made some changes, but you need to switch to another branch to fix a bug. You can stash your changes, switch to the other branch, and then reapply the stashed changes when you're done. Here's an example: ```bash # On feature branch $ git stash save "feature/new-feature: WIP" # Switch to another branch $ git checkout fix/bug # Fix the bug and commit the changes # Switch back to feature branch $ git checkout feature/new-feature # Reapply the stashed changes $ git stash pop ``` **Conclusion** In this topic, you've learned how to use `git stash` and `git stash pop` to temporarily store and reapply changes. This is a powerful tool that can help you manage your workflow and avoid conflicts. **What's Next?** In the next topic, we'll cover using tags for releases. We'll explore the different types of tags and how to create and manage them. **Additional Resources** * [Git Documentation: Stashing and Cleaning](https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2/Git-Tools-Stashing-and-Cleaning) * [Git Tutorial: Stashing Changes](https://www.atlassian.com/git/tutorials/saving-changes/git-stash) Do you have any questions about `git stash` and `git stash pop`? Share your thoughts and ask for help in the comments below.