Reordering commits in Git - Step-by-Step Execution

Process Flow - Reordering commits

Start: Identify commits to reorder

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Run interactive rebase

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Editor opens with commit list

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Change order of commits

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Save and close editor

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Git applies commits in new order

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Rebase complete with reordered commits

The flow shows how to reorder commits by starting an interactive rebase, editing the commit order, and applying the changes.

Execution Sample

Git

git rebase -i HEAD~3
# In editor, reorder commits lines
# Save and exit
# Git reapplies commits in new order

This code starts an interactive rebase for the last 3 commits, lets you reorder them, then applies the new order.

Process Table

Step	Action	Details	Result
1	Run interactive rebase	git rebase -i HEAD~3	Editor opens with last 3 commits listed
2	Edit commit order	Change lines order in editor	Commit order changed in editor buffer
3	Save and exit editor	Save file and close editor	Git starts replaying commits in new order
4	Apply first commit	Git applies commit originally 3rd	First commit applied successfully
5	Apply second commit	Git applies commit originally 1st	Second commit applied successfully
6	Apply third commit	Git applies commit originally 2nd	Third commit applied successfully
7	Rebase complete	All commits applied in new order	Branch history reordered

💡 All commits reapplied in the new order, rebase finished successfully

Status Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 2	After Step 6	Final
commit_order	[C1, C2, C3]	[C3, C1, C2]	[C3, C1, C2]	[C3, C1, C2]

Key Moments - 3 Insights

Why does the editor show commits in chronological order?

The editor lists commits from oldest to newest because Git replays commits starting from the oldest to the newest after you reorder them (see execution_table steps 2 and 4).

What happens if there is a conflict during rebase?

Git pauses rebase and asks you to resolve conflicts manually before continuing. This is not shown here but would interrupt the flow after step 4 or 5.

Does reordering commits change the commit content?

No, reordering only changes the sequence commits are applied, not their content (see variable_tracker where commit content stays the same).

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution table, what is the commit order after step 2?

A [C2, C3, C1]

B [C3, C1, C2]

C [C1, C2, C3]

D [C2, C1, C3]

💡 Hint

Check the 'Details' column in step 2 where the commit order is changed in the editor.

At which step does Git start applying commits in the new order?

A Step 4

B Step 2

C Step 3

D Step 7

💡 Hint

Look at the 'Result' column in step 4 where the first commit is applied after reordering.

If you reorder commits incorrectly, what will happen during rebase?

A Nothing changes, commits stay in original order

B Git will automatically fix the order

C Git will pause and ask to resolve conflicts

D Git deletes commits

💡 Hint

Refer to key_moments about conflicts during rebase.

Concept Snapshot

Reordering commits with git rebase -i HEAD~N
- Opens editor with last N commits
- Change order by moving lines
- Save and close to apply new order
- Git reapplies commits in new sequence
- Conflicts may pause rebase for manual fix

Full Transcript

Reordering commits in Git involves using interactive rebase. You start by running 'git rebase -i HEAD~3' to edit the last three commits. An editor opens showing commits from oldest to newest. You reorder the lines to change commit sequence. After saving and closing the editor, Git applies commits in the new order. The process finishes when all commits are reapplied. If conflicts occur, Git pauses for manual resolution. The commit content does not change, only their order in history.