Git Cherry-Picking

Git cherry-picking is a powerful command that allows developers to selectively choose specific commits from one branch and apply them to another. This process enables the integration of specific changes without merging entire branches.

1. Basic Cherry-Picking:

The fundamental use of git cherry-pick involves applying a specific commit to the current branch:

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git cherry-pick <commit-hash>

Replace <commit-hash> with the hash of the commit you want to pick. This command creates a new commit in your current branch, applying the changes from the specified commit.

2. Cherry-Picking Multiple Commits:

To cherry-pick multiple commits in a sequence:

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git cherry-pick <commit-hash-1> <commit-hash-2> <commit-hash-3>

List the commit hashes in the order you want to apply them. This allows you to integrate a series of commits into your branch.

3. Cherry-Picking a Range of Commits:

If you want to cherry-pick a range of commits:

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git cherry-pick <start-commit-hash>^..<end-commit-hash>

Replace <start-commit-hash> with the starting commit and <end-commit-hash> with the ending commit. The caret (^) symbol is used to include the starting commit.

4. Cherry-Picking Commits in Interactive Mode:

To cherry-pick commits interactively and choose specific ones:

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git cherry-pick -i <commit-hash>

This opens an interactive prompt, allowing you to select or edit the changes from the specified commit before applying them.

5. Cherry-Picking and Skipping the Commit Message Edit:

If you want to skip editing the commit message during cherry-pick:

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git cherry-pick -n <commit-hash>

The -n flag, or --no-commit, prepares the changes but stops before committing, allowing you to make additional modifications before finalizing the cherry-pick.

6. Cherry-Picking with the Original Commit Message:

To retain the original commit message during cherry-pick:

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git cherry-pick --keep-redundant-commits <commit-hash>

This flag maintains the original commit message and includes a note indicating that the cherry-pick is redundant.

7. Cherry-Picking with a Specific Commit Message:

If you want to provide a custom commit message during cherry-pick:

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git cherry-pick -m "Custom message" <commit-hash>

Replace "Custom message" with your desired commit message. This is particularly useful for adding context to the cherry-picked commit.

8. Cherry-Picking into a Different Branch:

To cherry-pick a commit into a branch other than the current one:

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git cherry-pick <commit-hash> -x -e

The -x flag appends "cherry picked from commit <original-hash>" to the commit message, and the -e flag opens the commit message for editing.

9. Cherry-Picking Changes without Committing:

To apply the changes from a commit without committing them immediately:

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git cherry-pick --no-commit <commit-hash>

This allows you to make additional modifications or review changes before finalizing the cherry-pick.

10. Cherry-Picking with the Same Committer:

To retain the original committer's name and email during cherry-pick:

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git cherry-pick --signoff <commit-hash>

The --signoff flag adds a "Signed-off-by" line to the commit message.

11. Cherry-Picking and Resolving Conflicts:

If conflicts arise during cherry-pick, resolve them manually:

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git cherry-pick <commit-hash>

When conflicts occur, Git marks the affected files. After resolving conflicts, use git add to stage the changes and then:

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git cherry-pick --continue

This completes the cherry-pick process.

12. Cherry-Picking and Skipping Commits Already in Branch:

To cherry-pick changes only if they are not already in the branch:

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git cherry-pick --skip-empty <commit-hash>

The --skip-empty flag skips the cherry-pick if it results in an empty commit, typically indicating that the changes are already in the branch.