How to Stash a Specific File or Multiple Files in Git?

Git stash command is a powerful tool for developers, allowing them to temporarily save changes that are not yet ready to be committed. This is particularly useful when you need to switch branches or pull updates from a remote repository without committing to unfinished work. While `git stash` typically saves all changes in the working directory, you might sometimes need to stash only specific files. This article will guide you through the process of stashing specific files or multiple files in Git.

What is Git Stash?

Before diving into stashing specific files, it's essential to understand the basic usage of `git stash`. By default, `git stash` saves all modified and staged changes, returning your working directory to the state of the last commit. You can later apply these changes with `git stash apply` or create a new branch with them using `git stash branch`.

The basic commands are:

• Stash changes: git stash
• List stashes: git stash list
• Apply the latest stash: git stash apply
• Drop a stash: git stash drop

Stashing Specific Files

To stash specific files, you need to use a combination of `git stash`, `git reset`, and `git add` commands. Here are the steps to achieve this:

Step 1. Stage the Specific Files.

First, stage the files you want to stash using 'git add'.

git add <file path>

Step 2. Stash the Changes.

Next, stash the changes, but only include the staged files.

git stash push -m "Stash specific files" -- <file path>

The `--` separator indicates that the following arguments are paths to the files you want to stash. The `-m` option allows you to add a message to your stash, making it easier to identify later.

Step 3. Unstage the Files.

If you need to keep the files in the staging area after stashing, use `git reset` to unstage them.

git reset path/to/file1 path/to/file2

Example: To demonstrate modifying three files, `file1.txt`, `file2.txt`, and `file3.txt`, but you only want to stash the changes in `file1.txt` and `file2.txt`.

Step 1. Stage the Specific Files

git add file1.txt file2.txt

Step 2. Stash the Staged Files

git stash push -m "Stashing file1 and file2" -- file1.txt file2.txt

Step 3. Verify the Stash.

You can check the stash list to confirm the changes have been stashed.

git stash list

You should see an entry similar to `stash@{0}: On master: Stashing file1 and file2`.

Step 4. Unstage the Files (if needed)

git reset file1.txt file2.txt

Applying a Specific Stash

When you are ready to reapply the stashed changes, you can use `git stash apply` followed by the stash reference.

Step 1. List Stashes

git stash list

This will show a list of stashed changes. Identify the stash you want to apply.

Step 2. Apply the Stash

git stash apply stash@{0}

Replace `stash@{0}` with the appropriate reference if you have multiple stashes.

Advanced Usage: Partial Stashes

In some cases, you might need to stash changes partially from a single file. While Git does not support stashing parts of a file directly, you can achieve this by using patches:

Step 1. Create a Patch File

git diff path/to/file1 > changes.patch

Step 2. Apply the Patch Later

After making the necessary changes, you can reapply the patch:

git apply changes.patch

Step 3. Stash the Changes

With the changes saved as a patch, you can now stash the whole file if needed and later reapply only the necessary parts using the patch.

Conclusion

Stashing specific files or multiple files in Git involves a few extra steps compared to the default `git stash` command. By carefully staging the desired changes and using the `git stash push` command with path arguments, you can efficiently manage and stash only the changes you need. This technique allows for greater flexibility and control over your working directory, ensuring that you can switch contexts without losing important progress.