move to another branch and 'saving' current changes

Question

Here's the scenario : I'm working on branch A but then something urgent need to be fix, how can I create a new branch (says it's branch B) without bringing over current changes?

I don't want to checkout all the files in branch A because I want to be able continue if the work in branch B is done.

I don't want to push branch A because it's unfinished.

Answer 1

Option 1: You can stash your changes

If you have changes in Branch A: while in branch A, do

git stash save "hint_to_what_stash_contains" 

To retrieve the changes,

git stash apply

If you have multiple stashes, you can list them and choose which stash to apply.

git stash list
git stash apply stash@\{<STASH_NUMBER>\}

Option 2: Commit your changes.

First, commit all your changes in branchA but not push it to origin, then create your branch b to do your work. Once branchB is done, you can checkout branch A to resume the work.

To resume work in branchA

git checkout brancha
edit files
git add <file(s)>
git commit --amend # You can also change the commit message if you want.

Option 3: Which i don't recommend, is the patch thing.. I have seen some people use it. Do a git diff and save it in a file Eg "branch_a_changes.patch" and when you want to resume your work just do git apply branch_a_changes.patch

Answer 2

From git worktree --help (https://git-scm.com/docs/git-worktree)

You are in the middle of a refactoring session and your boss comes in and demands that you fix something immediately. You might typically use git-stash(1) to store your changes away temporarily, however, your working tree is in such a state of disarray (with new, moved, and removed files, and other bits and pieces strewn around) that you don't want to risk disturbing any of it. Instead, you create a temporary linked working tree to make the emergency fix, remove it when done, and then resume your earlier refactoring session.

       $ git worktree add -b emergency-fix ../temp master
       $ pushd ../temp
       # ... hack hack hack ...
       $ git commit -a -m 'emergency fix for boss'
       $ popd
       $ rm -rf ../temp
       $ git worktree prune

Answer 3

You can commit your changes in A. Then Checkout B. When B is done, back to A and continue.

Or, If you don't want to commit the changes in 'A', stash (save other place) the changes. And Checkout to B and when you back to A just take (stash pop) the changes from stash.

Stashing takes the dirty state of your working directory — that is, your modified tracked files and staged changes — and saves it on a stack of unfinished changes that you can reapply at any time

• Options-1: Commit

  $ git checkout A                      # chekcout A
  $ git commit -am 'tmp commit'         # add & commit
  
  $ git checkout B                      # checkout B
  // fix your urgent changes here
  
  $ git checkout A
  // continue A
  

• Options-2: Stash

  $ git checkout A    
  $ git add .
  $ git stash                           # save unfinished changes
  
  $ git checkout B                      # checkout B
  // fix your urgent changes here
  
  $ git checkout A                      # checkout A
  $ git stash apply                     # retrieve the changes from stash
  
  // you can clear the stash
  $ git stash drop                      # remove the changes from stash