Git cherry-pick Command: A Comprehensive Guide to Its Usage

Git is a popular version control system used by developers to manage their codebase. It provides a wide range of commands to help you streamline your workflow and collaborate effectively with your team members. The git cherry-pick command is one such useful command that helps you apply changes made in one branch to another branch. In this article, we will explore the git cherry-pick command and its various usage scenarios.

What is Git cherry-pick command?

The git cherry-pick is a Git command that allows you to apply a specific commit from one branch to another branch. This command comes in handy when you want to pick a change made in a branch and apply it to another branch without having to merge the two branches. It is especially useful in scenarios where you need to apply a hotfix to a stable version of your codebase.

Basic usage

The basic syntax of the git cherry-pick command is as follows:

$ git cherry-pick <commit-hash>

Here, <commit-hash> is the hash of the commit you want to apply to your current branch.

For example, let’s say we have two branches: feature and master. We want to apply the latest commit made in the feature branch to the master branch. We can do this using the following command:

$ git cherry-pick feature

This will apply the latest commit made in the feature branch to the master branch.

Applying multiple commits

You can also use the git cherry-pick command to apply multiple commits to your current branch. To do this, you need to provide the hashes of all the commits you want to apply. For example:

$ git cherry-pick <commit-hash1> <commit-hash2> <commit-hash3>

This will apply all the specified commits to your current branch in the order they are specified.

Resolving conflicts

It’s common to face conflicts while cherry-picking a commit, especially if the commit you’re cherry-picking modifies the same files as in the current branch. In such cases, you’ll need to resolve the conflicts before you can successfully apply the changes.

When a conflict occurs during cherry-picking, Git will pause the process and prompt you to resolve the conflict. You can use the following command to view the conflicted files:

$ git status

This will show you a list of the files that have conflicts. You can then open these files in your favorite text editor and manually resolve the conflicts.

Once you’ve resolved the conflicts, save the changes, and add the files to the staging area using the git add command. Then, you can continue the cherry-picking process using the following command:

$ git cherry-pick --continue

This will apply the changes and complete the cherry-pick process.

Skipping a commit

You can skip a commit during cherry-picking by using the git cherry-pick --skip command. This command will skip the current commit and move on to the next one.

For example:

$ git cherry-pick --skip

This will skip the current commit and move on to the next one.

Undoing a cherry-pick

In some cases, you may need to undo a git cherry-pick operation. To do this, you can use the git cherry-pick --abort command. This command will abort the cherry-pick operation and revert any changes made during the process.

For example:

$ git cherry-pick --abort

This will abort the cherry-pick operation and revert any changes made during the process.

Conclusion

In summary, the git cherry-pick command is a powerful tool that allows you to apply changes made in one branch to another branch. It comes in handy when you want to apply a hotfix or pick specific changes made in a long-running branch. We hope this article has provided you with a comprehensive guide to the usage of the git cherry-pick command. Happy coding!