Common Git Workflows

Quick-reference guide for Git processes I use regularly.

Pushing Changes to a Branch

To push new changes for a specific branch to the remote repository:

git push origin <branch-name>

Combine New Changes with the Last Commit (Amend)

To add new changes to your last commit without creating a separate one:

1. Stage your changes:

   git add .
   

2. Amend the last commit:

   git commit --amend
   

   • Edit the commit message in the editor if needed, then save and close.

   • Or use --no-edit to keep the original message:

     git commit --amend --no-edit
     

<aside> ⭐

Note: If already pushed, force-push with git push --force (careful if others use the branch).

</aside>

Save Git Diff of a Commit to a File

To save the changes introduced by a specific commit to a file:

1. Run the git diff command for the commit, redirecting output to a file:

   git diff <previous-commit-hash> <commit-hash> > diff_file.patch
   

   Example:

   git diff abc1234 def5678 > commit_def5678_diff.patch
   

<aside> ⭐

Note: Replace <previous-commit-hash> with the parent commit and <commit-hash> with the target commit.

</aside>

Understanding previous-commit-hash and commit-hash in git diff

When using git diff <previous-commit-hash> <commit-hash> > diff_file.patch, the two commit hashes serve distinct purposes:

• previous-commit-hash: This is the parent commit, representing the repository's state before the changes in the target commit were applied. It acts as the baseline for comparison.
• commit-hash: This is the target commit, containing the specific changes you want to review or save.