Mastering Git Interactive Rebase: Tips for Editing Commits

What is git rebase for?

Git interactive rebase is a way to edit commits in the past. It allows you to choose specific commits to edit, squash, reorder, and delete.

Tips:

• To start an interactive rebase, use the command git rebase -i HEAD~[number of commits to go back].

• You can also use git rebase -i [commit hash] to specify a specific commit to start the rebase from, instead of using HEAD~[number of commits].

• You can use git rebase -i [branch name] when you are working with branches, this way you can make sure you are only modifying the commits of the branch you want to modify.

• Use git stash before starting an interactive rebase, in case you need to abort the rebase and want to get back to your previous state.

• Since 2015, you can use fixup to combine the changes of a commit with the previous commit.

• If you're working with a remote repository, it's better to use git pull --rebase instead of git pull to avoid conflicts when you update your local repository.

• Don't stress if you make a mistake during a rebase, you can utilize git reflog to undo the changes by going back in time 😮

I also suggest you read the Git Pro book.

The cover image was created by deepai.org based on this text: "Git wizard with a long staff in her hand" 😁 🧙‍♂️