! Let’s delve into some advanced Git concepts that will enhance your understanding and proficiency with this powerful version control system.
1.What are Git Hooks?
Git Hooks are scripts that Git executes before or after events such as commit, push, and receive. They are used for automating tasks in the development workflow, from enforcing code policies, adjusting your workflow, to triggering builds in continuous integration.
These scripts are stored in the 'hooks' directory within the '.git' directory of a Git repository and are not transferred with the rest of your repository when you clone or push it.
Here's a simple example of a pre-commit hook:
#!/bin/bash
if [[ $(git diff --cached --exit-code) != 0 ]]; then
echo "Error: There are unstaged changes in tracked files."
echo "Please stage your changes before committing."
exit 1
fi
exit 0
2.What is Git Stash?
Git Stash acts like a clipboard, where you can store changes that you don't want to commit immediately, but also don't want to lose. These could be half-done features, experimental code, or quick bug fixes. The stash is a temporary storage where you can keep these changes, switch contexts, and retrieve them when you're ready.
Using Git Stash
Stashing Changes: To stash changes, use git stash save "message". Replace "message" with a description of what you're stashing.
git stash save "work in progress for feature X"
Listing Stashes: To see what stashes you currently have, use git stash list.
git stash list
Applying Stashed Changes: To apply a stashed change, use git stash apply. This will apply the most recently stashed changes
git stash apply
3.Git Cherry-Pick
Git cherry-pick is a command that enables you to select a single commit from one branch and apply it onto another. This feature is useful in many scenarios, like when you want to apply a bug fix from a development branch onto a production branch, or when you want to move a specific feature development into a different branch.
git cherry-pick <commit-hash>
4.Git Reflog
The git reflog command is a mechanism to record when the tips of branches and other references were updated in the local repository. In simple terms, it is a log of where your HEAD and branch references have been. One of the powerful aspects of git reflog is that it provides a way to access commits that are no longer in your current commit history.
To use the git reflog command, you simply type git reflog in your terminal. You'll see an output similar to this:
e5f6d64 (HEAD -> master) HEAD@{0}: commit: add new feature
2f8d4b1 HEAD@{1}: checkout: moving from develop to master
217adcd (develop) HEAD@{2}: commit: fix bug
2f8d4b1 HEAD@{3}: checkout: moving from master to develop
The git reflog command is a powerful tool for navigating your Git history and recovering from mistakes. It provides a safety net, allowing you to recover lost work and get back on track.