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

↓

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

↓

Git applies commits one by one

↓

If conflict occurs?

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

No↓

All commits applied

↓

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.

Practice

1. What does the git cherry-pick command do when used with multiple commit hashes?

easy

A. It applies the changes from each specified commit onto the current branch.

B. It merges the entire branch containing those commits into the current branch.

C. It deletes the specified commits from the current branch.

D. It creates a new branch with the specified commits only.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand cherry-pick purpose

   The git cherry-pick command copies changes from specific commits to the current branch without merging the whole branch.

2. Step 2: Effect of multiple commits

   When multiple commit hashes are listed, git applies each commit's changes one by one onto the current branch.

3. Final Answer:

   It applies the changes from each specified commit onto the current branch. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Cherry-pick = copy specific commits [OK]

Hint: Cherry-pick copies commits, it does NOT merge branches [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing cherry-pick with merge
• Thinking it deletes commits
• Assuming it creates a new branch

2. Which of the following is the correct syntax to cherry-pick multiple commits with hashes a1b2c3 and d4e5f6?

easy

A. git cherry-pick --all a1b2c3 d4e5f6

B. git cherry-pick a1b2c3,d4e5f6

C. git cherry-pick -m a1b2c3 d4e5f6

D. git cherry-pick a1b2c3 d4e5f6

Solution

1. Step 1: Review cherry-pick syntax

   The correct way to cherry-pick multiple commits is to list their hashes separated by spaces, not commas or flags.

2. Step 2: Analyze options

   git cherry-pick a1b2c3 d4e5f6 uses spaces between commit hashes without extra flags, which is the correct syntax.

3. Final Answer:

   git cherry-pick a1b2c3 d4e5f6 -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Multiple commits separated by spaces [OK]

Hint: Separate commit hashes by spaces, not commas [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using commas between commit hashes
• Adding unnecessary flags
• Using incorrect options like --all

3. Given the following commands run on branch feature:

git checkout feature
git cherry-pick 123abc 456def

What will happen if both commits apply cleanly?

medium

A. Only the first commit 123abc will be applied, the second will be ignored.

B. The changes from commits 123abc and 456def will be added to the feature branch in order.

C. Git will merge the branches containing those commits into feature.

D. An error will occur because multiple commits cannot be cherry-picked at once.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand cherry-pick with multiple commits

   When multiple commits are cherry-picked, git applies each commit sequentially if no conflicts occur.

2. Step 2: Effect on current branch

   Since the branch is feature, the changes from both commits will be added in the order listed.

3. Final Answer:

   The changes from commits 123abc and 456def will be added to the feature branch in order. -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Multiple commits apply sequentially [OK]

Hint: Cherry-pick applies commits one by one in order [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming only first commit applies
• Confusing cherry-pick with merge
• Thinking multiple commits cause errors

4. You run git cherry-pick abc123 def456 but get a conflict on the second commit. What should you do to continue cherry-picking the remaining commits?

medium

A. Fix the conflict, then run git cherry-pick --continue to proceed.

B. Abort the cherry-pick with git cherry-pick --abort and start over.

C. Run git reset --hard to discard changes and continue.

D. Use git cherry-pick --skip immediately without fixing conflicts.

Solution

1. Step 1: Handle conflicts during cherry-pick

   When a conflict occurs, you must manually fix it before continuing.

2. Step 2: Continue cherry-pick process

   After fixing conflicts, running git cherry-pick --continue resumes applying remaining commits.

3. Final Answer:

   Fix the conflict, then run git cherry-pick --continue to proceed. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Fix conflicts + git cherry-pick --continue [OK]

Hint: Fix conflicts then run git cherry-pick --continue [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Skipping conflicts without fixing
• Aborting instead of continuing
• Resetting hard loses work

5. You want to cherry-pick commits 111aaa, 222bbb, and 333ccc from branch dev onto main. However, 222bbb depends on changes in 111aaa, but 333ccc is unrelated. Which command correctly cherry-picks only the dependent commits in order?

hard

A. git checkout main && git cherry-pick 333ccc 111aaa 222bbb

B. git checkout main && git cherry-pick 222bbb 111aaa

C. git checkout main && git cherry-pick 111aaa 222bbb

D. git checkout main && git cherry-pick 111aaa,222bbb

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify dependent commits

   Since 222bbb depends on 111aaa, both must be cherry-picked in order to avoid errors.

2. Step 2: Choose correct command syntax and order

   git checkout main && git cherry-pick 111aaa 222bbb checks out main and cherry-picks commits in the correct order separated by spaces.

3. Final Answer:

   git checkout main && git cherry-pick 111aaa 222bbb -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Dependent commits cherry-picked in order [OK]

Hint: Cherry-pick dependent commits in order, skip unrelated [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Cherry-picking commits in wrong order
• Including unrelated commits unnecessarily
• Using commas instead of spaces