Stashing changes with GIT on the IBM i Power System

Introduction

When working on IBM i applications using Git version control, there may be times when you need to temporarily save your current changes without committing them to the repository. This is where the Git stash feature comes in handy. In this lesson, you will learn how to use Git stash to manage your uncommitted changes on the IBM i Power System.

Understanding Git Stash

Git stash allows you to temporarily save your local changes, including modified files and new untracked files, without committing them to the repository. This is useful when you need to switch to a different branch or task, but don't want to lose your current work.

The stash acts as a stack, where you can save multiple sets of changes and then apply them back later as needed.

Stashing Changes

To stash your current changes, follow these steps:

  • Open a terminal or command prompt on your IBM i Power System.
  • Navigate to your Git repository for your IBM i application.
  • Run the following command to stash your changes:
git stash

This will save your current changes to the stash, and your working directory will be clean, as if you had just checked out the branch.

  • (Optional) You can add a message to the stash for better identification later:
git stash save "Fixing bug in report generation"

Viewing the Stash

To view the list of stashed changes, use the following command:

git stash list

This will display all the stashed changes, with their corresponding stash IDs and any messages you provided.

Applying Stashed Changes

When you're ready to apply your stashed changes, you have two options:

Apply and keep in the stash:

git stash apply

This will apply the most recent stash to your current working directory, but the stash will remain in the stash list.

Apply and remove from the stash:

git stash pop

This will apply the most recent stash to your current working directory and then remove it from the stash list.

If there are any conflicts between the stashed changes and your current working directory, Git will ask you to resolve them before applying the stash.

Clearing the Stash

If you no longer need the changes stored in the stash, you can clear the entire stash using the following command:

git stash clear

This will remove all the stashed changes from the stash list.

Best Practices

Here are some best practices when using Git stash on the IBM i Power System:

  • Use stash sparingly and only when necessary to avoid a cluttered stash list.
  • Provide meaningful messages when stashing changes to make it easier to identify them later.
  • Apply stashed changes as soon as possible to avoid conflicts with your current work.
  • Consider creating a new branch instead of stashing changes if the changes are significant or will take a long time to complete.

By following these best practices, you can effectively use the Git stash feature to manage your uncommitted changes on the IBM i Power System, ensuring a smooth and efficient development workflow.

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