Amending Git Commits

Introduction

• Presented by Nick Dunatakis
• Focus on changing git commits:
  • Modifying commit messages
  • Interactive rebase to alter past commits
• Importance of rewriting history before pushing code to remote repositories.

Basic Use Cases

Modifying the Last Commit Message

• Use git commit --amend to change the last commit message.
• Example:
  • Original message: "update docs to fix formatting"
  • New message: "update documentation to fix formatting"
• Check changes with git log to verify the new message.

Amending Changes in the Last Commit

• Scenario: Want to include additional changes in the last commit.
  • Make changes to a file.
  • Stage changes: git add [file] or git add -p for partial staging.
• Use git commit --amend --no-edit to add staged changes without changing the commit message.

Interactive Rebase

• Purpose: Modify commits further back in history (not just the last commit).
• Steps:
  1. Identify the commit to edit using git log or reference it via HEAD~n.
  2. Run git rebase -i [sha or HEAD~n].
  3. Change pick to edit for the commit you want to modify.
  4. Save and close the file to begin the rebase.
• Important to remember to use ^ (caret) when referencing commits by SHA to indicate the parent commit.

Making Changes After Starting a Rebase

• After editing, make the necessary changes to files.
• Stage changes and run git commit --amend.
• Complete the rebase with git rebase --continue.

Aborting a Rebase

• If you want to cancel a rebase in progress, use git rebase --abort to revert to the original state.

Handling Uncommitted Changes

• Scenario: Having uncommitted changes that you want to keep separate from the rebase.
• Use git stash to save uncommitted changes, then proceed with the rebase.
• After completing the rebase, use git stash pop to restore the stashed changes.

Conclusion

• Amending commits is a valuable tool in version control.
• Encouragement to practice these commands for better workflow management.
• Call to action: Like the video, leave comments for feedback or questions.