On local branch, don't want to commit changes, but need to switch to another branch

Question

I am working on branch A and the feature/task is not done. Then I need to switch to another branch B for a quick fix. When I try to switch on another branch Git forces me to save my local changes otherwise I 'll lose my all local changes.

I need to commit my incomplete code. Is there any way that I can switch between multiple branches without committing and losing any code? Or is there a better way to handle the situation?

Answer 1

You can use git stash, which will save your changes without creating a commit.¹

First, stash your changes:

$ git stash

Then switch to your other branch:

$ git checkout branch-B

When you're ready, go back to your original branch and unstash your changes:

$ git checkout branch-A
$ git stash pop

See the documentation linked above for more details and specifics on additional use cases.

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¹ Technically it does create a commit, but git stash uses some magic so you don't actually see the commit, and Git's tools know how to deal properly with these pseudo-commits.