git cherry-pick a single commit - Step-by-Step Execution

Process Flow - git cherry-pick a single commit

Start on target branch

↓

Identify commit hash to pick

↓

Run git cherry-pick <commit-hash>

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Git applies changes from commit

↓

Check for conflicts?

Yes→Resolve conflicts

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Continue cherry-pick

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Commit applied on target branch

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Done

The flow shows starting on the target branch, picking a commit by its hash, applying it, resolving conflicts if any, and finishing with the commit added.

Execution Sample

Git

git checkout feature-branch
# switch to target branch

git cherry-pick a1b2c3d4
# apply commit a1b2c3d4 changes

# If conflicts, resolve and run:
git cherry-pick --continue

This sequence switches to the target branch and applies a single commit from another branch by its hash.

Process Table

Step	Action	Command	Result	Notes
1	Switch to target branch	git checkout feature-branch	Switched to branch 'feature-branch'	Ready to apply commit here
2	Run cherry-pick	git cherry-pick a1b2c3d4	Git applies commit changes	If no conflicts, commit added
3	Check for conflicts	Automatic	No conflicts detected	Cherry-pick successful
4	Cherry-pick complete	Automatic	Commit a1b2c3d4 added to feature-branch	Done applying commit

💡 Cherry-pick ends after commit is applied or conflicts resolved and continued

Status Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 1	After Step 2	After Step 3	Final
HEAD branch	main	feature-branch	feature-branch	feature-branch	feature-branch
Commit history	main branch commits	feature-branch commits	feature-branch + a1b2c3d4 commit	feature-branch + a1b2c3d4 commit	feature-branch + a1b2c3d4 commit
Conflict state	none	none	none	none	none

Key Moments - 3 Insights

What happens if you run cherry-pick on the wrong branch?

The commit will be applied to the current branch HEAD points to, which may cause unwanted changes. See execution_table step 1 where switching branch is important.

What if there are conflicts during cherry-pick?

Git pauses and asks you to resolve conflicts manually, then you run 'git cherry-pick --continue' to finish. This is shown in the concept_flow with the conflict branch.

Does cherry-pick change the original commit hash?

No, but the new commit on the target branch gets a new hash because it is a new commit object. The original commit remains unchanged.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution_table, what branch is HEAD on after step 1?

A a1b2c3d4

B feature-branch

C main

D detached HEAD

💡 Hint

Check the 'Result' column in step 1 of execution_table

At which step does git apply the commit changes?

A Step 2

B Step 1

C Step 3

D Step 4

💡 Hint

Look at the 'Action' and 'Result' columns in execution_table for when changes are applied

If conflicts occur, what command should you run after resolving them?

A git commit --amend

B git cherry-pick --abort

C git cherry-pick --continue

D git merge --continue

💡 Hint

Refer to the execution_sample code comments about conflict resolution

Concept Snapshot

git cherry-pick <commit-hash>
- Applies a single commit from another branch onto current branch
- Must be on target branch before running
- If conflicts, resolve then run 'git cherry-pick --continue'
- Creates a new commit with same changes but new hash
- Useful to selectively copy changes without merging

Full Transcript

To cherry-pick a single commit, first switch to the branch where you want the commit applied. Then run 'git cherry-pick' with the commit hash. Git applies the changes from that commit onto your current branch. If there are conflicts, git will pause and ask you to resolve them. After fixing conflicts, run 'git cherry-pick --continue' to finish. The cherry-picked commit is added as a new commit on your branch with a new hash. This lets you copy specific changes without merging entire branches.