git stash list to view stashes - Practice Problems & Coding Challenges

Challenge - 5 Problems

💻 Command Output

intermediate

What is the output of git stash list after creating two stashes?

You have created two stashes in your git repository using git stash twice. What will git stash list show?

Git

git stash list

A

stash@{0}: WIP on main: 123abc4 Fix header layout
stash@{1}: WIP on main: 567def8 Add footer styles

B No stashes found

C

stash@{1}: WIP on main: 123abc4 Fix header layout
stash@{0}: WIP on main: 567def8 Add footer styles

D Error: stash list command not found

💡 Hint

Remember that the most recent stash is listed as stash@{0}.

The git stash list command shows all stashes with the most recent stash at the top as stash@{0}. Older stashes have increasing numbers.

🧠 Conceptual

intermediate

What does git stash list show?

Choose the best description of what git stash list displays.

A The current status of the working directory.

B A list of all branches in the repository.

C The commit history of the current branch.

D A list of all saved stashes with their names and commit messages.

💡 Hint

Think about what you save when you stash changes.

git stash list shows all the saved stashes with their identifiers and messages describing the changes saved.

❓ Troubleshoot

advanced

Why does git stash list show no output after stashing changes?

You ran git stash to save changes, but git stash list shows nothing. What could be the reason?

A You had no changes to stash, so nothing was saved.

B Your git version does not support stashing.

C The stash list is hidden by default and needs a flag to show.

D You ran <code>git stash list</code> in a different repository.

💡 Hint

Think about what happens if you stash without any changes.

If there are no changes to stash, git stash does not save anything, so git stash list remains empty.

🔀 Workflow

advanced

How to view details of a specific stash from git stash list?

After running git stash list, you want to see the detailed changes saved in stash@{1}. Which command do you use?

A git stash show -p stash@{1}

B git stash list stash@{1}

C git stash apply stash@{1}

D git stash drop stash@{1}

💡 Hint

You want to see the patch details without applying the stash.

git stash show -p stash@{1} shows the detailed patch of the specified stash without applying it.

✅ Best Practice

expert

What is the best practice to keep your stash list manageable?

You have many stashes saved and want to keep your stash list clean. What is the best practice?

A Never drop stashes to keep all changes saved forever.

B Regularly apply or drop stashes you no longer need.

C Rename stashes to long descriptive names to avoid confusion.

D Use <code>git stash clear</code> daily to delete all stashes.

💡 Hint

Think about managing clutter and keeping only useful stashes.

Regularly applying or dropping unneeded stashes keeps the stash list manageable and avoids confusion.

Practice

1. What does the command git stash list do in Git?

easy

A. Applies the latest stash to the working directory

B. Deletes all stashes permanently

C. Shows all saved stashes with their names and messages

D. Creates a new stash from current changes

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the purpose of git stash list

   This command is used to display all the stashes saved in the repository, showing their names and messages.

2. Step 2: Differentiate from other stash commands

   Unlike commands that create, apply, or delete stashes, git stash list only shows the list without changing anything.

3. Final Answer:

   Shows all saved stashes with their names and messages -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   View stashes = git stash list [OK]

Hint: Use git stash list to see all saved stashes quickly [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing list with apply or drop commands
• Thinking it deletes or creates stashes
• Expecting it to show file changes inside stash

2. Which of the following is the correct syntax to view all stashes in Git?

easy

A. git stash show

B. git stash list

C. git stash view

D. git stash display

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall the exact command to list stashes

   The correct command to list all stashes is git stash list.

2. Step 2: Verify other options are invalid

   git stash show shows details of one stash, not the list; git stash view and git stash display are not valid Git commands.

3. Final Answer:

   git stash list -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   List stashes = git stash list [OK]

Hint: Remember: 'list' shows all stashes, not 'show' or 'view' [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using 'git stash show' to list all stashes
• Typing 'git stash view' which is invalid
• Confusing 'list' with 'show'

3. Given the following output from git stash list:

stash@{0}: WIP on main: 123abc Fix header
stash@{1}: WIP on feature: 456def Add login
stash@{2}: WIP on main: 789ghi Update footer

What is the message of the stash at stash@{1}?

medium

A. Add login

B. Fix header

C. Update footer

D. WIP on main

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify the stash index and message

   The stash at stash@{1} shows the message after the colon, which is 'Add login'.

2. Step 2: Confirm the message corresponds to the correct stash

   Other stashes have different messages: stash@{0} is 'Fix header', stash@{2} is 'Update footer'.

3. Final Answer:

   Add login -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Message at stash@{1} = 'Add login' [OK]

Hint: Read stash index carefully; message follows the colon [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Mixing stash indexes and messages
• Choosing the branch name instead of message
• Ignoring the stash number format

4. You ran git stash list but got no output, even though you recently stashed changes. What is the most likely reason?

medium

A. Git stash list only shows uncommitted changes

B. You used git stash list incorrectly with extra arguments

C. Your stashes were deleted automatically after applying

D. You are in a different repository without stashes

Solution

1. Step 1: Check repository context

   If git stash list shows nothing, you might be in a different repository where no stashes exist.

2. Step 2: Evaluate other options

   Using extra arguments would cause an error, not empty output; stashes are not deleted automatically unless dropped; git stash list shows saved stashes, not uncommitted changes.

3. Final Answer:

   You are in a different repository without stashes -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   No output means no stashes in current repo [OK]

Hint: Check current repo; no stashes means empty list [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming stashes auto-delete after apply
• Expecting git stash list to show uncommitted changes
• Using wrong command syntax causing silent failure

5. You have multiple stashes saved. You want to apply the second stash shown in git stash list without removing it from the stash list. Which command should you use?

hard

A. git stash apply stash@{1}

B. git stash pop stash@{1}

C. git stash drop stash@{1}

D. git stash list stash@{1}

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the difference between apply and pop

   git stash apply applies a stash but keeps it in the list; git stash pop applies and removes it.

2. Step 2: Identify correct command to apply second stash

   To apply the second stash, use git stash apply stash@{1}. git stash drop deletes the stash, and git stash list stash@{1} is invalid syntax.

3. Final Answer:

   git stash apply stash@{1} -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Apply without removing = git stash apply [OK]

Hint: Use apply to keep stash, pop to remove after applying [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using pop which deletes stash after applying
• Trying to list a specific stash with wrong syntax
• Dropping stash instead of applying