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>

↓

Git applies changes from commit

↓

Check for conflicts?

Yes→Resolve conflicts

↓

Continue cherry-pick

↓

Commit applied on target branch

↓

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.

Practice

1. What does the git cherry-pick command do?

easy

A. Creates a new branch from the current commit

B. Deletes a commit from the current branch

C. Merges two branches completely

D. Copies a specific commit from another branch to the current branch

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the purpose of git cherry-pick

   The command is used to copy a single commit from one branch to another without merging all changes.

2. Step 2: Compare with other git commands

   Unlike merge, cherry-pick applies only one commit, not the entire branch history.

3. Final Answer:

   Copies a specific commit from another branch to the current branch -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   git cherry-pick = copy single commit [OK]

Hint: Cherry-pick copies one commit, not whole branch [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing cherry-pick with merge
• Thinking it deletes commits
• Assuming it creates branches

2. Which of the following is the correct syntax to cherry-pick a commit with hash abc123?

easy

A. git cherry-pick abc123

B. git cherry-pick -m abc123

C. git cherry-pick --commit abc123

D. git cherry-pick commit abc123

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall the basic cherry-pick syntax

   The command is git cherry-pick <commit-hash> to apply a single commit.

2. Step 2: Check the options given

   Only git cherry-pick abc123 matches the correct syntax without extra or incorrect flags.

3. Final Answer:

   git cherry-pick abc123 -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Correct syntax = git cherry-pick commit_hash [OK]

Hint: Use git cherry-pick followed by commit hash [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Adding unnecessary flags
• Using incorrect keywords like 'commit'
• Confusing with merge options

3. Given the following commands run on branch main:

git checkout main
git cherry-pick 1a2b3c4

What will happen after these commands?

medium

A. The commit with hash 1a2b3c4 is applied to main branch

B. A new branch named 1a2b3c4 is created

C. The main branch is reset to commit 1a2b3c4

D. The commit 1a2b3c4 is deleted from the repository

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the effect of git cherry-pick

   Running git cherry-pick 1a2b3c4 applies that commit's changes onto the current branch, here main.

2. Step 2: Analyze other options

   No new branch is created, no reset happens, and commits are not deleted by cherry-pick.

3. Final Answer:

   The commit with hash 1a2b3c4 is applied to main branch -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Cherry-pick applies commit to current branch [OK]

Hint: Cherry-pick applies commit changes to current branch [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking it creates branches
• Confusing cherry-pick with reset
• Assuming it deletes commits

4. You run git cherry-pick abcdef but get a conflict error. What should you do next?

medium

A. Abort the cherry-pick with git cherry-pick --abort and try again

B. Manually resolve the conflicts, then run git cherry-pick --continue

C. Delete the conflicting files and commit

D. Run git reset --hard to fix the conflict

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand conflict during cherry-pick

   Conflicts mean git cannot automatically apply changes; manual resolution is needed.

2. Step 2: Resolve conflicts and continue

   After fixing conflicts in files, run git cherry-pick --continue to finish applying the commit.

3. Final Answer:

   Manually resolve the conflicts, then run git cherry-pick --continue -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

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

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

Common Mistakes:

• Aborting without trying to fix
• Deleting files instead of resolving
• Using reset which discards changes

5. You want to apply a commit from branch feature to main without merging all changes. The commit hash is f1e2d3c. Which sequence of commands correctly does this?

hard

A. git checkout main
git merge f1e2d3c

B. git checkout feature
git cherry-pick f1e2d3c
git checkout main

C. git checkout main
git cherry-pick f1e2d3c

D. git checkout main
git rebase feature

Solution

1. Step 1: Switch to the target branch

   You must be on main to apply the commit there.

2. Step 2: Cherry-pick the specific commit

   Run git cherry-pick f1e2d3c to copy that commit from feature branch.

3. Step 3: Analyze other options

   Switching to feature, cherry-picking there, then switching back to main does not apply the commit to main, as cherry-pick affects the current branch. Merge and rebase apply entire branches, not a single commit.

4. Final Answer:

   git checkout main git cherry-pick f1e2d3c -> Option C

5. Quick Check:

   Checkout target branch + cherry-pick commit [OK]

Hint: Checkout target branch first, then cherry-pick commit [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Cherry-picking on wrong branch
• Using merge or rebase instead of cherry-pick
• Not switching branches before cherry-pick