Amending the last commit in Git - Step-by-Step Execution

Process Flow - Amending the last commit

Make changes to files

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Stage changes with git add

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Run git commit --amend

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Edit commit message if needed

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Save and close editor

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Last commit updated with new changes

This flow shows how you change files, stage them, then use git commit --amend to update the last commit with new content or message.

Execution Sample

Git

echo "New line" >> file.txt
  git add file.txt
  git commit --amend -m "Updated last commit with new line"

Adds a new line to file.txt, stages it, then amends the last commit with the updated content and message.

Process Table

Step	Action	Command	Result
1	Modify file.txt by adding a new line	echo "New line" >> file.txt	file.txt content updated
2	Stage the changed file	git add file.txt	file.txt staged for commit
3	Amend the last commit with new changes and message	git commit --amend -m "Updated last commit with new line"	Last commit replaced with new content and message
4	Check commit log	git log -1 --oneline	Shows amended commit with new message

💡 Amend replaces the last commit with new staged changes and message

Status Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 1	After Step 2	After Step 3	Final
file.txt content	Original content	Original content + New line	Staged changes include new line	Commit updated with new line	Commit includes new line
Last commit message	"Initial commit"	"Initial commit"	"Initial commit"	"Updated last commit with new line"	"Updated last commit with new line"

Key Moments - 2 Insights

Why does git commit --amend replace the last commit instead of creating a new one?

Because git commit --amend rewrites the last commit with the staged changes and new message, as shown in execution_table step 3 where the last commit is replaced.

What happens if you forget to stage changes before git commit --amend?

The last commit message can be changed but the content stays the same, since only staged changes are included. See execution_table step 2 and 3 for staging importance.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution table, what is the result after step 2?

A file.txt content updated

B Last commit replaced

C file.txt staged for commit

D Commit log shows amended commit

💡 Hint

Check the 'Result' column for step 2 in the execution_table

At which step does the last commit message change?

A Step 3

B Step 1

C Step 2

D Step 4

💡 Hint

Look at the 'Last commit message' in variable_tracker after each step

If you skip 'git add' before 'git commit --amend', what changes in the execution?

A Last commit content updates with new changes

B Only commit message changes, content stays the same

C New commit is created instead of amending

D Git throws an error and stops

💡 Hint

Refer to key_moments about staging importance before amending

Concept Snapshot

git commit --amend lets you update the last commit.
First, change files and stage them with git add.
Then run git commit --amend to replace the last commit.
You can also edit the commit message.
If no changes are staged, only the message updates.
Use git log -1 to verify the amended commit.

Full Transcript

To amend the last commit in git, first modify your files as needed. Then stage those changes using git add. After staging, run git commit --amend with an optional new message. This command replaces the last commit with the staged changes and new message. If you do not stage changes, only the commit message updates. Finally, check your commit with git log -1 to confirm the amendment.