git-advanced

Advanced Git Patterns

Quick Reference

Task	Command
Rebase onto main	git rebase main
Interactive rebase (squash)	git rebase -i HEAD~N
Cherry-pick a commit	git cherry-pick <sha>
Find bug introduction	git bisect start
Stash with name	git stash push -m "description"
Undo last commit (keep changes)	git reset --soft HEAD~1
See what changed in a file	git log -p -- path/to/file
Find who changed a line	git blame path/to/file

Rebase Workflows

Rebase feature branch onto main

git checkout feature-branch
git fetch origin
git rebase origin/main
# Fix conflicts if any, then:
git push --force-with-lease  # safer than --force

Use --force-with-lease instead of --force -- it refuses to push if someone else has pushed to the branch since your last fetch.

Interactive Rebase (clean up commits)

git rebase -i HEAD~5  # last 5 commits

In the editor:

pick abc1234 feat: add user model
squash def5678 fix typo in user model
squash ghi9012 more fixes
pick jkl3456 feat: add user routes
fixup mno7890 cleanup

Command	Effect
pick	Keep commit as-is
squash	Merge into previous, combine messages
fixup	Merge into previous, discard message
reword	Keep commit, edit message
drop	Remove commit entirely

When to Rebase vs Merge

Rebase	Merge
Your feature branch behind main	Integrating shared branches
Cleaning up local commits before PR	Preserving branch history matters
Linear history preferred	Multiple people on same branch
Your own branches only	Never on shared/public branches

Conflict Resolution

Workflow

# During rebase or merge, conflicts show as:
<<<<<<< HEAD
current changes
=======
incoming changes
>>>>>>> branch-name

# After resolving each file:
git add resolved-file.py
git rebase --continue   # or git merge --continue

Strategy

1. Read both sides -- understand what each change is trying to do
2. Check the base -- git diff HEAD...branch to see the original intent
3. Keep both when changes are in different logical sections
4. Choose one when changes are mutually exclusive
5. Rewrite when neither side is correct after the merge
6. Run tests after resolving before continuing

Abort if stuck

git rebase --abort    # undo the entire rebase
git merge --abort     # undo the entire merge

Cherry-Pick

Copy a specific commit to current branch:

git cherry-pick abc1234

# Cherry-pick without committing (stage changes only)
git cherry-pick --no-commit abc1234

# Cherry-pick a range
git cherry-pick abc1234..def5678

Use cases: hotfix from main to release branch, backport a fix.

Git Bisect (find bug introduction)

git bisect start
git bisect bad                 # current commit is broken
git bisect good v1.0.0         # this tag/commit was working

# Git checks out a middle commit. Test it, then:
git bisect good                # this commit is fine
# or
git bisect bad                 # this commit has the bug

# Repeat until git identifies the first bad commit
git bisect reset               # return to original branch

Automate with a test script:

git bisect start HEAD v1.0.0
git bisect run pytest tests/test_broken.py

Stash Management

# Stash with descriptive name
git stash push -m "WIP: auth refactor"

# List stashes
git stash list

# Apply most recent (keep in stash)
git stash apply

# Apply and remove from stash
git stash pop

# Apply specific stash
git stash apply stash@{2}

# Stash specific files only
git stash push -m "partial" -- file1.py file2.py

# Create branch from stash
git stash branch new-branch stash@{0}

Undo Operations

Want to Undo	Command	Destructive?
Last commit (keep changes staged)	git reset --soft HEAD~1	No
Last commit (keep changes unstaged)	git reset HEAD~1	No
Last commit (discard changes)	git reset --hard HEAD~1	YES
Staged file	git restore --staged file	No
Unstaged changes to a file	git restore file	YES
A pushed commit	git revert <sha>	No (creates new commit)
A bad rebase	git reflog then git reset --hard <sha>	Recoverable

Always prefer git revert over git reset for pushed commits. Revert creates a new commit that undoes the change, preserving history.

Reflog (emergency recovery)

# See recent HEAD movements
git reflog

# Output:
# abc1234 HEAD@{0}: rebase: finish
# def5678 HEAD@{1}: rebase: start
# ghi9012 HEAD@{2}: commit: my important work

# Recover lost commit
git reset --hard ghi9012

The reflog keeps ~90 days of history. If you lost something, it's probably here.

History Exploration

# Commits that changed a specific file
git log --oneline -- path/to/file

# Search commit messages
git log --grep="fix login"

# Search code changes (pickaxe)
git log -S "functionName" --oneline

# Who last changed each line
git blame path/to/file

# Show blame ignoring whitespace and moves
git blame -w -M path/to/file

# Diff between branches
git diff main...feature-branch

Anti-Patterns

Don't	Do Instead
git push --force on shared branches	git push --force-with-lease on your own branches only
Rebase public/shared branches	Only rebase your own feature branches
Resolve conflicts by accepting "ours" blindly	Read both sides and merge intentionally
Stash and forget	Name stashes, clean up regularly with git stash drop
git reset --hard without checking reflog	Use --soft first, escalate to --hard only when sure
Giant squash of entire branch	Squash related commits, keep logical units separate