**Course Title:** Version Control Systems: Mastering Git **Section Title:** Advanced Git Techniques **Topic:** Interactive rebasing: `git rebase -i` **Introduction** In the previous topic, we discussed rebasing vs. merging and when to use each. Rebasing is a powerful tool in Git that allows you to rewrite the commit history of your repository. However, sometimes you may want to interactive rebase your commits, and that's where `git rebase -i` comes in. Interactive rebasing allows you to edit, squash, and reorder your commits in a more convenient way. **What is Interactive Rebasing?** Interactive rebasing is a process that allows you to selectively choose the commits you want to include in your new commit history. It's a safer alternative to `git rebase` because it allows you to review each commit before applying it to the base branch. This feature is especially useful when working on large, long-running branches or feature branches that require multiple commits. **Using `git rebase -i`** To start an interactive rebase, use the following command: ```bash git rebase -i <base-branch> ``` Replace `<base-branch>` with the name of the branch you want to rebase onto. This will open an interactive rebase editor in your default text editor. **The Interactive Rebase Editor** The interactive rebase editor will display a list of commits that are about to be applied to the base branch. Each commit will be prefixed with one of the following commands: * `pick`: This is the default command, which will leave the commit as it is. * `reword`: This will allow you to reword the commit message. * `edit`: This will allow you to make changes to the commit. * `squash`: This will squash the commit into the previous commit. * `fixup`: Similar to squash, but will discard the commit message. * `drop`: This will drop the commit altogether. **Manipulating Commits** You can manipulate the commits by changing the command prefix. Here are some examples: * To reword a commit message, change `pick` to `reword`. * To squash multiple commits together, change `pick` to `squash` for all the commits except the first one. * To reorder commits, simply reorder the lines in the editor. **Saving Changes** Once you've made your changes, save the file and exit the editor. Git will then start applying the commits one by one, based on the commands you've specified. **Resolving Conflicts** If there are any conflicts during the rebase process, Git will stop and ask you to resolve them. You can use `git status` to see which files have conflicts and then resolve them manually. Once you've resolved the conflicts, use `git add` to stage the changes and `git rebase --continue` to continue the rebase process. **Practical Use Case** Suppose you're working on a feature branch with multiple commits. You want to squash the last three commits together and reword the first commit message. You can use interactive rebasing to achieve this. ```bash git rebase -i master ``` Edit the commit history to squash the last three commits: ``` pick abc123 First commit squash def456 Second commit squash ghi789 Third commit ``` Reorder the first commit to come after the squashed commits: ``` pick abc123 First commit squash def456 Second commit squash ghi789 Third commit reword jkl012 Squashed commit ``` Save and exit the editor. Git will then start applying the commits, based on the new commit history. **Conclusion** Interactive rebasing is a powerful feature in Git that allows you to selectively choose the commits you want to include in your new commit history. By using `git rebase -i`, you can manipulate your commit history in a more convenient way. Remember to always use interactive rebasing with caution and only on branches that you're working on alone. **Further Reading** For more information on interactive rebasing, see the [Git documentation](https://git-scm.com/docs/git-rebase#_interactive_mode) on Git rebase. **Ask for Help** If you have any questions or need further clarification on the topic, feel free to ask in the comments below. **Next Topic: Git LFS (Large File Storage) for handling large files** In the next topic, we'll explore Git LFS, a feature that allows you to store large files in your repository without bloating your repository size.