Squashing commits in Git - Step-by-Step Execution

Process Flow - Squashing commits

Start: Multiple commits

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Run git rebase -i HEAD~N

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Editor opens with commit list

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Mark commits as 'squash' or 'fixup'

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Save and close editor

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Git combines commits

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Edit combined commit message

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Save and close editor

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Rebase completes with squashed commit

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Result: Single combined commit

Squashing combines multiple commits into one by interactive rebasing and editing commit messages.

Execution Sample

Git

git rebase -i HEAD~3
# In editor, mark second and third commits as 'squash'
# Save and close editor
# Edit combined commit message
# Save and close editor

This sequence squashes the last 3 commits into one commit with a combined message.

Process Table

Step	Action	Git State	User Input	Result
1	Run 'git rebase -i HEAD~3'	Last 3 commits separate	None	Editor opens with 3 commits listed
2	Mark commits to squash	Editor shows commits	Mark 2nd and 3rd commits as 'squash'	Commits marked for squashing
3	Save and close editor	Git starts rebasing	None	Git combines the commits into 1
4	Edit combined commit message	Rebase paused for message edit	Write combined commit message	Commit message updated
5	Save and close editor	Rebase continues	None	Rebase completes with 1 squashed commit
6	Check git log	One combined commit replaces 3	None	History shows single squashed commit

💡 Rebase completes successfully with commits squashed into one.

Status Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 3	After Step 5	Final
Commit count	3	1 (after squash)	1	1
Commit messages	"A", "B", "C"	"A + B + C combined"	"A + B + C combined"	"A + B + C combined"

Key Moments - 3 Insights

Why do we need to mark commits as 'squash' in the editor?

Marking commits as 'squash' tells Git which commits to combine. Without this, Git won't know which commits to merge. See execution_table step 2.

What happens if you don't edit the combined commit message?

Git will use the default combined message from all commits. Editing lets you write a clear, single message. See execution_table step 4.

Why does the rebase pause after combining commits?

It pauses to let you edit the new commit message before finishing. This ensures the final commit message is meaningful. See execution_table step 4.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution table, at which step does Git combine the commits?

A Step 3

B Step 2

C Step 5

D Step 1

💡 Hint

Check the 'Result' column in step 3 where commits are combined.

According to the variable tracker, how many commits remain after step 5?

A 3

B 1

C 2

D 0

💡 Hint

Look at 'Commit count' after step 5 in variable_tracker.

If you forget to mark commits as 'squash' in the editor, what happens?

A Git will combine all commits anyway

B Git will abort the rebase

C Git will leave commits separate

D Git will delete commits

💡 Hint

Refer to execution_table step 2 where marking commits is required.

Concept Snapshot

git rebase -i HEAD~N
# Opens editor with last N commits
# Mark commits as 'squash' or 'fixup' to combine
# Save and close editor to start rebase
# Edit combined commit message
# Save and close to finish
Result: Multiple commits become one with combined message

Full Transcript

Squashing commits means combining several commits into one. You start by running 'git rebase -i HEAD~N' where N is how many commits back you want to combine. Git opens an editor listing those commits. You mark the commits you want to squash by changing 'pick' to 'squash' or 'fixup'. After saving and closing the editor, Git combines those commits into one. It then pauses so you can edit the new combined commit message. After saving that, the rebase finishes. The commit history now shows one single commit instead of many. This helps keep history clean and easier to understand.