Скачать или смотреть Mastering Git*: How to Use Cherry-Pick with Fast Forward Techniques

Learn how to effectively use `git cherry-pick` with fast forward techniques to avoid merge conflicts. Discover tips and best practices to streamline your Git workflow.
---
This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/72847713/ asked by the user 'ansme' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/13019451/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/72852096/ provided by the user 'LeGEC' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/86072/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

Visit these links for original content and any more details, such as alternate solutions, latest updates/developments on topic, comments, revision history etc. For example, the original title of the Question was: How to make git cherry pick use fast forward technique

Also, Content (except music) licensed under CC BY-SA https://meta.stackexchange.com/help/l...
The original Question post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... ) license, and the original Answer post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... ) license.

If anything seems off to you, please feel free to write me at vlogize [AT] gmail [DOT] com.
---
Mastering Git: How to Use Cherry-Pick with Fast Forward Techniques

When working with Git, developers often encounter challenges when merging changes between branches. One common issue arises when trying to use the git cherry-pick command and facing unexpected conflicts. If you find yourself grappling with this, you're not alone. Let's explore how to avoid these conflicts and effectively use git cherry-pick using fast forward techniques.

Understanding the Problem

You've initiated a new repository and committed a fresh file to your master branch. After creating a new branch called testing, you made further edits that resulted in more commits on that branch. Now, you want to incorporate changes from testing back into master using git cherry-pick.

However, you face merge conflicts, even when you believe there is a straight path for the commits to merge cleanly. So, why does this happen?

What is Cherry-Pick?

git cherry-pick allows you to apply the changes introduced by specific commits from one branch to another. While it’s a handy tool, it behaves differently from git merge, especially in how it handles changes from one branch to another.

Why the Conflict Occurs

When you execute git cherry-pick, Git tries to apply the changes in the selected commit onto your current branch. If there's any sort of divergence in the file's content, or if the specified commits do not cleanly align with the base of the current branch, conflicts will arise. Here's what happens in your case:

The testing branch is ahead of master, and thus a direct merge can resolve without conflict.

The changes in testing may not be applicable as-is on the master branch, which leads to conflicts.

Key Points to Note:

Conflict-free Merge: When you simply merge (git merge testing), Git tells the system to move the master branch pointer up, resulting in no conflicts.

Patch Differences: The patches being applied during a cherry-pick may not correspond directly if earlier commits affect the same line or structure of code.

How to Avoid Merge Conflicts with Cherry-Pick

To streamline your experience with git cherry-pick, consider the following steps that help avoid merge conflicts and ensure clean application of commits.

1. Cherry-Pick Multiple Commits

If you want to bring all changes from testing into master, consider cherry-picking multiple commits at once:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

This method will reproduce a result similar to git merge testing, thus incorporating all changes smoothly.

2. Use Range to Cherry-Pick

A more efficient way to apply all commits from a branch without specifying each commit is by using the range notation:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

This command tells Git to apply all commits between master and testing, reducing chances of conflicts.

3. Exclude Specific Commits

If you need to cherry-pick only specific commits, like the second commit from testing, ensure you understand its diff. You may encounter a conflict if the base content on master does not have the content from prior commits in testing.

In your case, the diff for <2nd_commit> would demand certain content to exist before it can be applied:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Conclusion

Understanding how git cherry-pick interacts with your commit history is crucial for preventing conflicts. By utilizing the techniques outlined above, you can ensure a smoother process when merging changes between branches. Remember, while git merge offers a fast forward solution due to direct paths, cherry-pick requires a bit more attention to its patches and context.

Ready to tackle your Git workflow? Start applying these strategies for a more organized and