Creating named stashes in Git - Visual Walkthrough

Process Flow - Creating named stashes

Make changes in working directory

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Run git stash save with a name

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Git saves changes as a named stash

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List stashes to see the named stash

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Apply or drop stash by name or index

This flow shows how you make changes, save them with a name using git stash, then manage those named stashes.

Execution Sample

Git

git stash save "work in progress"
git stash list

Save current changes with the name "work in progress" and then list all stashes.

Process Table

Step	Command	Action	Result
1	git stash save "work in progress"	Save current changes with a name	Changes saved as stash@{0} with message "work in progress"
2	git stash list	List all stashes	stash@{0}: WIP on branch: work in progress
3	git stash apply stash@{0}	Apply named stash	Changes reapplied to working directory
4	git stash drop stash@{0}	Remove named stash	stash@{0} deleted

💡 All named stashes managed; working directory clean or restored

Status Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 1	After Step 3	After Step 4
Working Directory	Modified files	Clean (changes saved)	Modified files restored	Modified files restored
Stash List	Empty	stash@{0}: work in progress	stash@{0}: work in progress	Empty

Key Moments - 3 Insights

Why do we give a name when creating a stash?

Naming a stash helps identify it later in the stash list, as shown in step 2 of the execution table.

What happens to the working directory after running 'git stash save'?

The working directory becomes clean because changes are saved in the stash, as seen after step 1 in the variable tracker.

How do you remove a named stash after applying it?

Use 'git stash drop' with the stash name or index, demonstrated in step 4 of the execution table.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution table, what is the stash message saved at step 1?

A "temporary changes"

B "work in progress"

C "bug fix"

D "feature update"

💡 Hint

Check the 'Result' column in step 1 of the execution table.

At which step does the working directory get restored with the stashed changes?

A Step 1

B Step 2

C Step 3

D Step 4

💡 Hint

Look at the 'Action' and 'Result' columns in the execution table for step 3.

If you do not name a stash, how would the stash list differ?

A It shows a default message like 'WIP on branch'.

B It shows no stashes at all.

C It shows an error message.

D It automatically deletes the stash.

💡 Hint

Think about the purpose of naming in the stash list shown in step 2.

Concept Snapshot

git stash save "name" saves current changes with a custom name.
Use git stash list to see all stashes with their names.
Apply stash by git stash apply stash@{index}.
Remove stash by git stash drop stash@{index}.
Naming helps track multiple stashes easily.

Full Transcript

This lesson shows how to create named stashes in git. First, you make changes in your files. Then you run 'git stash save "work in progress"' to save those changes with a name. This clears your working directory. You can list all stashes with 'git stash list' to see your named stash. Later, you can apply the stash back with 'git stash apply stash@{0}' and remove it with 'git stash drop stash@{0}'. Naming stashes helps you remember what each stash contains.