Cherry-picking multiple commits in Git - Step-by-Step Execution

Process Flow - Cherry-picking multiple commits

Start on target branch

↓

Identify commits to cherry-pick

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Run git cherry-pick <commit1> <commit2> ...

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Git applies commits one by one

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If conflict occurs?

Yes→Resolve conflict, git cherry-pick --continue

No↓

All commits applied

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End with updated branch

The flow starts on the target branch, identifies commits to pick, applies them one by one, handles conflicts if any, and finishes with the updated branch.

Execution Sample

Git

git checkout feature

git cherry-pick a1b2c3d e4f5g6h

# resolve conflicts if any

git cherry-pick --continue

This code switches to the 'feature' branch and cherry-picks two commits by their hashes, resolving conflicts if they arise.

Process Table

Step	Action	Commit Hash	Result	Notes
1	Checkout target branch	N/A	Switched to 'feature'	Ready to cherry-pick
2	Start cherry-pick	a1b2c3d	Applying commit a1b2c3d	No conflicts
3	Commit applied	a1b2c3d	Success	Commit added to feature branch
4	Start cherry-pick	e4f5g6h	Applying commit e4f5g6h	Conflict detected
5	Resolve conflict	e4f5g6h	Conflict resolved manually	User edits files
6	Continue cherry-pick	e4f5g6h	Commit applied	Cherry-pick complete
7	Finish	N/A	All commits cherry-picked	Feature branch updated

💡 All commits applied or conflicts resolved; cherry-pick process finished.

Status Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 2	After Step 3	After Step 4	After Step 5	After Step 6	Final
Current Branch	main	feature	feature	feature	feature	feature	feature
Commits Applied	0	0	1 (a1b2c3d)	1 (a1b2c3d)	1 (a1b2c3d)	2 (a1b2c3d, e4f5g6h)	2 (a1b2c3d, e4f5g6h)
Conflict State	No	No	No	Yes	Resolved	No	No

Key Moments - 3 Insights

Why does git stop during cherry-picking multiple commits?

Git stops if it finds a conflict applying a commit (see Step 4 in execution_table). You must resolve the conflict manually before continuing.

Can you cherry-pick multiple commits in one command?

Yes, you can list multiple commit hashes in one git cherry-pick command (Step 2), and git applies them one by one.

What happens if you don't run 'git cherry-pick --continue' after resolving conflicts?

The cherry-pick process stays paused at the conflicted commit and won't apply the next commits (see Step 6). You must run the continue command to proceed.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution_table, what is the conflict state after Step 4?

A No conflict

B Conflict detected

C Conflict resolved

D Cherry-pick complete

💡 Hint

Check the 'Conflict State' variable after Step 4 in variable_tracker.

At which step does git apply the first commit successfully?

A Step 3

B Step 4

C Step 2

D Step 6

💡 Hint

Look at the 'Result' column in execution_table for commit a1b2c3d.

If you skip resolving conflicts, what happens to the cherry-pick process?

A It finishes successfully

B It skips the conflicted commit

C It pauses and waits for conflict resolution

D It automatically resolves conflicts

💡 Hint

Refer to Step 5 and Step 6 in execution_table and the 'Conflict State' in variable_tracker.

Concept Snapshot

git cherry-pick <commit1> <commit2> ...
- Applies listed commits one by one to current branch
- Stops if conflicts occur; resolve and run git cherry-pick --continue
- Use to copy specific commits without merging whole branches
- Always start on the target branch before cherry-picking

Full Transcript

Cherry-picking multiple commits means applying specific commits from another branch onto your current branch. First, switch to the branch where you want the commits. Then run git cherry-pick with the commit hashes you want. Git applies each commit in order. If a conflict happens, git pauses. You must fix the conflict manually, then run git cherry-pick --continue to proceed. When all commits are applied, your branch has those changes without merging the entire source branch.