# Scenario: Bug fix on wrong branch
git branch
* feature-login
  main
  hotfix

# You committed bug fix to feature-login
# But it needs to be on hotfix branch too!

git log --oneline
a1b2c3d Fix critical security bug  ← Need this on hotfix!
d4e5f6g Add login form
g7h8i9j Update styles

# Don't want to merge entire feature branch
# Just need the security fix

# Switch to target branch
git checkout hotfix

# Cherry-pick the commit
git cherry-pick a1b2c3d

# Done! Commit copied to hotfix branch
git log --oneline
a1b2c3d Fix critical security bug  ← Same commit, now on hotfix!
x7y8z9a Previous hotfix commit

Common Use Cases

1. Bug Fix on Wrong Branch

# Fixed bug on feature branch, need on main
git checkout main
git cherry-pick abc123

# Or cherry-pick from another person's branch
git cherry-pick origin/their-branch-name~2  # 2 commits ago

2. Apply Multiple Commits

# Cherry-pick range of commits
git cherry-pick abc123..def456

# Cherry-pick multiple specific commits
git cherry-pick abc123 def456 ghi789

# Cherry-pick all commits from another branch
git cherry-pick feature-branch

3. Hotfix to Multiple Versions

# Apply same fix to v1.0, v2.0, v3.0 branches
git checkout v1.0-stable
git cherry-pick abc123

git checkout v2.0-stable
git cherry-pick abc123

git checkout v3.0-stable
git cherry-pick abc123

# Same fix on all versions!

git cherry-pick abc123

# If conflicts:
# CONFLICT (content): Merge conflict in file.js

# Fix conflicts
vim file.js  # Resolve conflicts

# Mark as resolved
git add file.js

# Continue cherry-pick
git cherry-pick --continue

# Or abort
git cherry-pick --abort

Advanced Options

# Cherry-pick without committing (stage changes only)
git cherry-pick -n abc123
# Make modifications, then commit manually

# Cherry-pick and edit commit message
git cherry-pick -e abc123

# Add 'cherry picked from' note to commit message
git cherry-pick -x abc123
# Adds: (cherry picked from commit abc123)

# Cherry-pick but with different author
git cherry-pick abc123
git commit --amend --author="John Doe "

# Cherry-pick only the changes, not the commit
git cherry-pick -n abc123
git reset  # Unstage
# Now you have changes in working directory

Production Hotfix Workflow

# Bug found in production!
# Create hotfix branch from main
git checkout main
git checkout -b hotfix-critical-bug

# Fix bug, commit
git commit -m "Fix critical login bug"
# Commit hash: xyz789

# Deploy hotfix to production
git checkout main
git merge hotfix-critical-bug
git push

# Now cherry-pick to development branch
git checkout develop
git cherry-pick xyz789

# Now cherry-pick to all active feature branches
git checkout feature-new-ui
git cherry-pick xyz789

git checkout feature-api-v2
git cherry-pick xyz789

# Same fix everywhere!

When to Use Cherry-Pick

• Bug fixes: Apply to multiple branches/versions
• Backporting: Bring new features to old versions
• Mistakes: Commit on wrong branch, move it
• Selective merging: Want some commits, not all
• Team collaboration: Grab colleague’s commit

Caveats

• Creates duplicate commits: Same change, different hash
• Can cause conflicts: If code has diverged
• Loses context: Commit might not make sense alone
• Tracking is harder: Git doesn’t track cherry-picks automatically
• Prefer merge when possible: Cherry-pick is for exceptions

Pro Tips

# Find commits to cherry-pick
git log --oneline --graph branch-name

# Cherry-pick from reflog (even deleted commits!)
git reflog
git cherry-pick abc123

# Test before cherry-picking
git show abc123  # View commit changes

# Cherry-pick merge commit (requires -m)
git cherry-pick -m 1 merge-commit-hash
# -m 1 means use first parent

# Undo cherry-pick
git reset --hard HEAD~1  # If not pushed
git revert commit-hash   # If already pushed

Cheat Sheet

Command	Action
git cherry-pick abc123	Apply single commit
git cherry-pick abc..def	Apply range of commits
git cherry-pick -n abc123	Don’t commit (stage only)
git cherry-pick -x abc123	Add source note to message
git cherry-pick --continue	Continue after conflict
git cherry-pick --abort	Cancel cherry-pick

git log --oneline

a1b2c3d fix typo
d4e5f6g WIP
g7h8i9j oops forgot file
j1k2l3m fix typo again
m4n5o6p actually fix the bug
p7q8r9s Add feature X

# 6 commits for 1 feature!
# Confusing for code review
# Clutters git history

# Rebase last 6 commits
git rebase -i HEAD~6

# Or rebase from specific commit
git rebase -i a1b2c3d

# Editor opens with commit list:
pick a1b2c3d fix typo
pick d4e5f6g WIP
pick g7h8i9j oops forgot file
pick j1k2l3m fix typo again
pick m4n5o6p actually fix the bug
pick p7q8r9s Add feature X

# Commands available:
# pick   = use commit
# reword = use commit, but edit message
# edit   = use commit, but stop for amending
# squash = use commit, combine with previous
# fixup  = like squash, discard commit message
# drop   = remove commit

Common Rebase Actions

1. Squash Commits

# Combine multiple commits into one
pick p7q8r9s Add feature X
squash m4n5o6p actually fix the bug
squash j1k2l3m fix typo again
squash g7h8i9j oops forgot file
squash d4e5f6g WIP
squash a1b2c3d fix typo

# Save and close
# New editor opens for combined commit message
# Result: 6 commits → 1 clean commit

2. Fixup (Squash Without Message)

pick p7q8r9s Add feature X
fixup m4n5o6p actually fix the bug
fixup j1k2l3m fix typo again
fixup g7h8i9j oops forgot file
fixup d4e5f6g WIP
fixup a1b2c3d fix typo

# Like squash, but automatically uses first commit's message
# No need to edit combined message

3. Reword Commit Messages

reword a1b2c3d fix typo
pick d4e5f6g Add authentication

# Editor opens for each 'reword'
# Change message, save, continue

4. Reorder Commits

# Just reorder lines
pick d4e5f6g Add tests
pick a1b2c3d Add feature
pick g7h8i9j Update docs

# Changes order in history

5. Drop Commits

pick a1b2c3d Add feature
drop d4e5f6g debug logging
pick g7h8i9j Update docs

# Or just delete the line (same effect)
pick a1b2c3d Add feature
pick g7h8i9j Update docs

Before PR Cleanup

# You've been working on feature branch
git log --oneline
a1b2c3d fix lint error
d4e5f6g remove console.log
g7h8i9j WIP save work
j1k2l3m add login component
m4n5o6p fix button style
p7q8r9s add logout
q1r2s3t initial auth setup

# Clean up before PR
git rebase -i HEAD~7

# In editor:
pick q1r2s3t initial auth setup
fixup j1k2l3m add login component
fixup p7q8r9s add logout
fixup m4n5o6p fix button style
fixup g7h8i9j WIP save work
fixup d4e5f6g remove console.log
fixup a1b2c3d fix lint error

# Save, close
# Result: 1 clean commit "Add authentication system"

git log --oneline
t4u5v6w Add authentication system

# Beautiful history for PR!

# If conflicts during rebase
git rebase -i HEAD~5

# Git stops:
# CONFLICT (content): Merge conflict in file.js

# Fix conflicts in file
vim file.js  # Resolve conflicts

# Mark as resolved
git add file.js

# Continue rebase
git rebase --continue

# Or abort if things go wrong
git rebase --abort

When to Use Interactive Rebase

• Before PR/MR: Clean up feature branch history
• WIP commits: Squash ‘work in progress’ commits
• Fix commit messages: Typos, unclear messages
• Reorder logical flow: Tests before implementation
• Remove sensitive data: Accidentally committed secrets

Important Rules

• Never rebase public branches: Only rebase local/feature branches
• Don’t rebase after push: Rewrites history, breaks others’ work
• Force push required: git push –force-with-lease after rebase
• Communicate with team: If others are working on same branch
• Keep backups: git branch backup-branch before rebase

Pro Tips

# Auto-squash: Prepare commits for easy squashing
git commit --fixup a1b2c3d  # Creates fixup! commit
git rebase -i --autosquash HEAD~10  # Auto-arranges fixups

# Set autosquash as default
git config --global rebase.autosquash true

# Use different editor
git config --global core.editor "code --wait"

# Rebase onto different branch
git rebase -i main  # Rebase current branch onto main

# Split a commit
# 1. Mark commit as 'edit'
# 2. Git stops at that commit
# 3. git reset HEAD^
# 4. git add -p (stage hunks separately)
# 5. git commit (multiple times)
# 6. git rebase --continue

Cheat Sheet

Command	Action
git rebase -i HEAD~N	Rebase last N commits
pick	Keep commit as-is
squash	Combine with previous
fixup	Squash, discard message
reword	Edit commit message
drop	Remove commit
git rebase --abort	Cancel rebase

# Feature branch has 10 commits
feature-branch:
  abc123 - Add user login
  def456 - Fix critical security bug  ← Need this in production NOW
  ghi789 - Add dashboard
  ... 7 more commits

# Can't merge entire branch (not ready)
# Just need that one security fix

# Solution: Cherry-pick!

# Find commit hash
git log feature-branch
# def456 - Fix critical security bug

# Switch to target branch
git checkout main

# Cherry-pick that commit
git cherry-pick def456

# Commit is now in main!
git log
# def456 - Fix critical security bug (same changes, new hash)

# Push to production
git push origin main

Cherry-Pick Options

# Cherry-pick without committing (stage changes only)
git cherry-pick --no-commit abc123

# Cherry-pick multiple commits
git cherry-pick abc123 def456 ghi789

# Cherry-pick range of commits
git cherry-pick abc123..ghi789

# Cherry-pick with custom commit message
git cherry-pick abc123 --edit

# Cherry-pick and sign off
git cherry-pick abc123 -s

# Cherry-pick causes conflict
git cherry-pick abc123
# CONFLICT (content): Merge conflict in app.js

# Fix conflicts manually
vim app.js

# Mark as resolved
git add app.js

# Continue cherry-pick
git cherry-pick --continue

# Or abort if you change your mind
git cherry-pick --abort

Real-World Example

# Hotfix needed from development branch
$ git checkout main
$ git pull

# Find the bug fix commit
$ git log develop --oneline
# a1b2c3d Fix payment processing timeout
# d4e5f6g Add new feature X
# g7h8i9j Refactor user service

# Cherry-pick just the fix
$ git cherry-pick a1b2c3d

# Deploy to production
$ git push origin main

# The fix is live!
# Feature X stays in develop until ready

Pro Tips

• Use -x flag: git cherry-pick -x abc123 adds reference to original commit
• Check what will be picked: git show abc123 before cherry-picking
• Keep commits small: Easier to cherry-pick atomic commits
• Document why: Add note in commit message about cherry-pick

Cautions

• Creates duplicate commits: Same changes, different hash
• Can cause conflicts: When merging branches later
• Loses context: Commit may depend on others
• Don’t overuse: Prefer proper merges for normal workflow

# Working on feature branch
git status
# modified:   feature.js
# modified:   styles.css

# Boss: "Fix production bug NOW!"
git checkout main
# Error: Your local changes would be overwritten
# Please commit or stash them

# Options:
# 1. Commit messy half-done work 
# 2. Create throwaway commit 
# 3. Copy files somewhere else 
# 4. Use git stash 

# Save current changes
git stash
# Saved working directory and index state

# Working directory now clean
git status
# nothing to commit, working tree clean

# Switch to other branch
git checkout main

# Fix bug, commit, push

# Go back to feature branch
git checkout feature-branch

# Restore stashed changes
git stash pop
# Changes restored, stash removed

# Continue working!

Essential Stash Commands

# Save with descriptive message
git stash save "WIP: user authentication form"

# List all stashes
git stash list
# stash@{0}: WIP: user authentication form
# stash@{1}: WIP: homepage redesign
# stash@{2}: On main: quick fix

# Apply stash without removing it
git stash apply stash@{0}

# Apply and remove (like pop)
git stash pop stash@{0}

# Show what's in a stash
git stash show stash@{0}

# Show full diff
git stash show -p stash@{0}

# Delete specific stash
git stash drop stash@{0}

# Delete all stashes
git stash clear

# Stash only staged changes
git stash --staged

# Stash including untracked files
git stash -u

# Stash everything (including ignored files)
git stash -a

# Stash specific files only
git stash push -m "message" path/to/file.js

# Create branch from stash
git stash branch new-feature-branch stash@{0}
# Creates branch, applies stash, drops stash
# Perfect when stash has conflicts with current branch

# Stash interactively (choose what to stash)
git stash -p
# Goes through each change, asks: stash this hunk?

Real Workflow

# Working on feature
$ vim feature.js

# Emergency: fix production bug
$ git stash save "WIP: user login form validation"
$ git checkout main
$ git pull

# Create hotfix branch
$ git checkout -b hotfix-payment-bug
$ vim payment.js
$ git add payment.js
$ git commit -m "Fix: payment timeout issue"
$ git push origin hotfix-payment-bug

# Back to feature
$ git checkout feature-branch
$ git stash pop

# Continue where you left off!

Pro Tips

• Use descriptive messages: Future you will thank you
• Don’t hoard stashes: Clean up old ones regularly
• Stash before pull: Avoid merge conflicts with uncommitted work
• Create alias: git config --global alias.save 'stash save'

Common Mistakes

• Forgetting about stashes: Check git stash list regularly
• Stashing too much: Multiple stashes get confusing
• Not using messages: stash@{3} tells you nothing
• Conflicts on pop: Resolve like merge conflicts, then drop stash manually

# Entire file
git blame filename.js

# Specific line range
git blame -L 100,150 filename.js

# Show line 247 only
git blame -L 247,247 filename.js

# Output:
# abc12345 (John Doe 2024-01-15 14:23:45) const buggyFunction = () => {

Useful Flags

# Show email instead of name
git blame -e filename.js

# Ignore whitespace changes
git blame -w filename.js

# Show commit message
git blame -s filename.js | git show abc12345

# Find who moved/copied this code
git blame -C filename.js

# Follow through file renames
git blame -M filename.js

GitLens Extension: Shows git blame inline as you code

• Hover over any line → See author, date, commit message
• Click commit hash → View full diff
• No terminal needed

# 1. Find buggy line
git blame -L 247,247 app.js
# Output: abc12345 (Sarah 2024-01-10) if (user = admin) {

# 2. View full commit
git show abc12345

# 3. See what changed
git diff abc12345^ abc12345

# 4. Contact Sarah or check commit message for context

Pro Tip: Ignore Formatting Commits

# Create .git-blame-ignore-revs
echo "abc1234" >> .git-blame-ignore-revs

# Configure git to use it
git config blame.ignoreRevsFile .git-blame-ignore-revs

# Now blame ignores that formatting commit

# Rebase last 5 commits
git rebase -i HEAD~5

# Or from specific commit
git rebase -i abc1234

# Editor opens with commit list:
pick abc1234 Add login feature
pick def5678 fix typo
pick ghi9012 actually fix it
pick jkl3456 forgot to add file
pick mno7890 Update login feature

Interactive Commands

Command	What It Does
pick	Keep commit as-is
reword	Change commit message
squash	Merge into previous commit
fixup	Squash but discard message
drop	Delete commit entirely
edit	Stop to amend commit

# Before (messy):
pick abc1234 Add login feature
pick def5678 fix typo
pick ghi9012 actually fix it
pick jkl3456 forgot to add file
pick mno7890 Update login feature

# Change to (clean):
pick abc1234 Add login feature
fixup def5678 fix typo
fixup ghi9012 actually fix it
fixup jkl3456 forgot to add file
squash mno7890 Update login feature

# Result: 2 clean commits instead of 5 messy ones

Golden Rules

• NEVER rebase public commits: Only rebase commits that haven’t been pushed
• OR: Only if you’re alone on the branch
• Backup first: git branch backup-branch before rebasing
• Conflict resolution: Resolve, then git rebase --continue
• Abort if needed: git rebase --abort to undo

Autosquash Workflow

# Make fixup commits automatically
git commit --fixup abc1234

# Later, auto-squash them all
git rebase -i --autosquash HEAD~10

# Git automatically marks fixup commits!