How to switch and save without commit in git?

Question

I am working on one branch, and suddenly I have to switch to another branch to fix an urgent bug. The problem is the changes I make to the current branch is still a mess and I do not want to commit that and leave some scrappy commit message.

Is there any way I can save the current changes without commit?

Answer 1

Yes, you can use stash.

git stash

It will save any uncommitted stuff in a special area where you can get it back later using

git stash apply

You can see what is in the stash with

git stash list

Answer 2

Stash obviously works. I just want to propose that it is also a viable, if not better, option, to just commit whatever you have got, for the following reasons:

1. Stash is kept separately from the current branch, the index, and the working space, and less visible. Unless you are going to fix the other issue and switch back real quick, it's actually easier to get confused with the state of the stash after a while.
2. Committing your changes in your environment does not affect anything or anybody else, as long as you don't push the commit. You can always reorganize your commits later when you are done with the feature. Compared to stash, a commit on the feature branch where it belongs is easier to manage later.