git rebase basic usage - Step-by-Step Execution

Process Flow - git rebase basic usage

Start on feature branch

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Run git rebase main

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Git rewinds feature branch commits

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Git applies main branch commits

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Git reapplies feature branch commits on top

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Resolve conflicts if any

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Rebase complete, feature branch updated

This flow shows how git rebase moves your feature branch commits on top of the latest main branch commits, updating your branch history.

Execution Sample

Git

git checkout feature
git rebase main

Switch to feature branch and rebase it onto main branch to update feature branch history.

Process Table

Step	Action	Branch State	Result
1	Checkout feature branch	feature points to commit F1	On feature branch at F1
2	Run git rebase main	feature at F1, main at M2	Start rebase: rewind feature commits
3	Rewind feature commits	feature temporarily at M2	Feature commits F1 removed temporarily
4	Apply main commits	main commits M1, M2 applied	Base updated to M2
5	Reapply feature commits	feature commits reapplied on M2	Feature branch now at F1' (new commit)
6	Check for conflicts	No conflicts	Rebase completes successfully
7	Feature branch updated	feature points to F1' on top of M2	Feature branch history rewritten

💡 Rebase ends when all feature commits are reapplied on top of main branch commits

Status Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 3	After Step 5	Final
feature branch commit	F1	rewound (temporarily removed)	F1' (rebased commit)	F1'
main branch commit	M2	unchanged	unchanged	unchanged

Key Moments - 2 Insights

Why does git rebase 'rewind' feature commits before applying main commits?

Git temporarily removes feature commits to apply main branch commits first, then reapplies feature commits on top, ensuring a linear history as shown in execution_table step 3 and 4.

What happens if there are conflicts during rebase?

Git pauses rebase for you to resolve conflicts manually before continuing, but in this example (step 6) no conflicts occur, so rebase completes automatically.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution table, at which step are the feature commits temporarily removed?

A Step 3

B Step 2

C Step 5

D Step 7

💡 Hint

Check the 'Action' and 'Result' columns in step 3 where feature commits are 'rewound'.

After rebase completes, where does the feature branch point?

A At original commit F1

B At rebased commit F1' on top of M2

C At main branch commit M2

D At the first commit of main branch

💡 Hint

Look at the 'Branch State' and 'Result' columns in step 7.

If a conflict occurs during rebase, what must you do?

A Abort the rebase immediately

B Ignore conflicts and rebase continues automatically

C Resolve conflicts manually and continue rebase

D Delete the feature branch

💡 Hint

Refer to key_moments about conflict handling during rebase.

Concept Snapshot

git rebase basic usage:
- Switch to feature branch: git checkout feature
- Rebase onto main: git rebase main
- Git rewinds feature commits, applies main commits, then reapplies feature commits
- Resolves conflicts if any
- Result: feature branch history updated on top of main branch

Full Transcript

Git rebase moves your feature branch commits on top of the latest main branch commits. First, you switch to your feature branch. Then you run 'git rebase main'. Git temporarily removes your feature commits, applies the latest commits from main, and then reapplies your feature commits on top. If there are conflicts, you resolve them manually. After rebase completes, your feature branch points to new commits that appear as if you started from the latest main branch. This keeps your project history clean and linear.