Creating named stashes in Git - Step-by-Step CLI Walkthrough

Introduction

Sometimes you need to save your work temporarily without committing it. Creating named stashes lets you save changes with a label so you can find them easily later.

When you want to switch branches but have unfinished work you don't want to commit yet

When you need to save multiple sets of changes separately to work on them later

When you want to share your progress with a descriptive label for clarity

When you want to keep your working directory clean temporarily without losing changes

Commands

This command saves your current changes into a stash with the name 'fix login bug' so you can identify it later.

Terminal

git stash push -m "fix login bug"

Expected Output

Saved working directory and index state On main: fix login bug

→

-m - Adds a descriptive message to the stash

This command shows all your saved stashes with their names and indexes.

Terminal

git stash list

Expected Output

stash@{0}: On main: fix login bug

This command reapplies the changes saved in the stash named 'fix login bug' back to your working directory.

Terminal

git stash apply stash@{0}

Expected Output

No output (command runs silently)

Key Concept

If you remember nothing else from this pattern, remember: naming your stashes helps you keep track of multiple saved changes easily.

Common Mistakes

Running 'git stash' without the -m flag and forgetting what the stash contains

Unnamed stashes are harder to identify later, causing confusion when you have many stashes

Always use 'git stash push -m "message"' to add a clear description

Trying to apply a stash without specifying the correct stash name or index

Git will apply the latest stash by default, which might not be the one you want

Use 'git stash list' to find the correct stash and apply it by its name like 'git stash apply stash@{0}'

Summary

Use 'git stash push -m "message"' to save changes with a clear name.

Check saved stashes with 'git stash list' to see their names and indexes.

Reapply a specific stash with 'git stash apply stash@{index}'.

Practice

1. What is the main benefit of creating a named stash in Git?

easy

A. It automatically commits your changes to the main branch.

B. It helps you remember what changes you saved by adding a message.

C. It deletes all your untracked files before saving changes.

D. It merges your changes directly into the remote repository.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand what a stash does

   A stash saves your current work temporarily without committing it.

2. Step 2: Recognize the purpose of naming a stash

   Giving a stash a name or message helps you remember what changes it contains.

3. Final Answer:

   It helps you remember what changes you saved by adding a message. -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Named stash = clear message [OK]

Hint: Named stashes add messages to remember saved changes easily [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking stash commits changes permanently
• Confusing stash with branch creation
• Assuming stash deletes files permanently

2. Which of the following is the modern correct command to create a named stash with the message "fix bug"?

easy

A. git stash save "fix bug"

B. git stash add -m "fix bug"

C. git stash create "fix bug"

D. git stash push -m "fix bug"

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall the modern syntax for named stashes

   The correct command uses git stash push -m "message" to create a named stash.

2. Step 2: Check each option for correctness

   git stash push -m "fix bug" matches the correct syntax exactly; others use outdated or invalid commands.

3. Final Answer:

   git stash push -m "fix bug" -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Named stash command = git stash push -m [OK]

Hint: Use 'git stash push -m "message"' for named stashes [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using 'git stash save' which is deprecated
• Using 'git stash create' which does not name stashes
• Using 'git stash add' which is invalid

3. What will be the output of the command git stash list after running git stash push -m "update readme"?

medium

A. stash@{0}: WIP on main: update readme

B. Error: stash message not saved.

C. No stash entries found.

D. stash@{0}: On main: update readme

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand what 'git stash push -m' does

   This command creates a stash with the message "update readme".

2. Step 2: Check the format of 'git stash list' output

   Named stashes show as stash@{0}: WIP on main: update readme.

3. Final Answer:

   stash@{0}: WIP on main: update readme -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Named stash list shows WIP on branch: message [OK]

Hint: Named stash appears in list as 'WIP on branch: message' [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking named stashes lack 'WIP on' prefix
• Thinking stash list is empty after push
• Assuming error when message is given

4. You tried to create a named stash with git stash push -m fix typo but got an error. What is the likely cause?

medium

A. The message must be enclosed in quotes.

B. The command 'git stash push' does not support messages.

C. You need to add '--message' instead of '-m'.

D. You must commit changes before stashing.

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify the syntax error in the command

   The message contains spaces and must be enclosed in quotes to be treated as one argument.

2. Step 2: Understand correct usage of message option

   Using -m "fix typo" is correct; missing quotes causes error.

3. Final Answer:

   The message must be enclosed in quotes. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Message with spaces needs quotes [OK]

Hint: Always quote stash messages with spaces [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Omitting quotes around multi-word messages
• Using wrong option like '--message'
• Thinking stash requires committed changes

5. You have multiple stashes saved with names. How can you apply the stash named "feature update" without removing it from the stash list?

hard

A. git stash apply -m "feature update"

B. git stash pop -m "feature update"

C. git stash apply stash^{/feature update}

D. git stash apply feature update

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand how to reference named stashes

   Named stashes can be referenced using stash^{/message} syntax to match the message.

2. Step 2: Choose the correct command to apply without removing

   git stash apply applies without removing; pop removes. git stash apply stash^{/feature update} uses correct syntax.

3. Final Answer:

   git stash apply stash^{/feature update} -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Apply named stash with 'stash^{/message}' [OK]

Hint: Use 'stash^{/message}' to apply named stash without popping [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using 'pop' which removes stash
• Trying to use '-m' with apply
• Passing message directly without stash^{/}