Stashing specific files in Git - Mini Project: Build & Apply

Stashing Specific Files in Git

📖 Scenario: You are working on a project with multiple files changed. You want to temporarily save changes from only some files without committing them. This helps you switch tasks without losing work.

🎯 Goal: Learn how to stash changes from specific files using Git commands.

📋 What You'll Learn

Create a Git repository with three files: index.html, style.css, and script.js.

Modify all three files.

Stash changes only from style.css and script.js.

Verify the stash contains only those files.

Show the remaining unstashed changes.

💡 Why This Matters

🌍 Real World

Developers often need to save work temporarily on some files to switch tasks without committing unfinished changes.

💼 Career

Knowing how to stash specific files helps manage work efficiently in real projects and is a common skill in software development roles.

1

Create a Git repository and add files

Initialize a Git repository with three files named index.html, style.css, and script.js. Add some initial content to each file and commit them.

Git

# Initialize git repo and create files
# Your code here

Hint

Use git init to start the repo. Use echo to create files. Use git add and git commit to save.

2

Modify all three files

Modify the files index.html, style.css, and script.js by adding one new line of text to each.

Git

git init

echo 'Test' > index.html
 echo 'body { margin: 0; }' > style.css
 echo 'console.log("Hello");' > script.js
 git add index.html style.css script.js
 git commit -m "Initial commit with three files"
# Modify all three files by adding one line each
# Your code here

Hint

Use echo 'text' >> filename to add a line to each file.

3

Stash changes only from style.css and script.js

Use the Git stash command to stash changes only from the files style.css and script.js. Do not stash changes from index.html.

Git

git init

echo 'Test' > index.html
 echo 'body { margin: 0; }' > style.css
 echo 'console.log("Hello");' > script.js
 git add index.html style.css script.js
 git commit -m "Initial commit with three files"

echo '' >> index.html
 echo 'h1 { color: red; }' >> style.css
 echo 'alert("Hi");' >> script.js
# Stash only style.css and script.js changes
# Your code here

Hint

Use git stash push followed by the file names to stash specific files.

4

Show the stash list and remaining unstashed changes

Run commands to show the list of stashes and then show the unstashed changes remaining in index.html.

Git

git init

echo 'Test' > index.html
 echo 'body { margin: 0; }' > style.css
 echo 'console.log("Hello");' > script.js
 git add index.html style.css script.js
 git commit -m "Initial commit with three files"

echo '' >> index.html
 echo 'h1 { color: red; }' >> style.css
 echo 'alert("Hi");' >> script.js

git stash push style.css script.js
# Show stash list and unstashed changes
# Your code here

Hint

Use git stash list to see stashes and git diff to see unstashed changes.

Practice

1. What does the command git stash push -m "save changes" file.txt do?

easy

A. It saves changes only from file.txt to a new stash with a message.

B. It saves all changes in the working directory to a stash with a message.

C. It commits file.txt with the message "save changes".

D. It deletes file.txt and saves the rest to stash.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the git stash push command

   This command saves changes in the working directory to a stash instead of committing.

2. Step 2: Recognize the effect of specifying a file

   By adding file.txt, only changes in that file are saved to the stash, not all files.

3. Final Answer:

   It saves changes only from file.txt to a new stash with a message. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Stash specific file = It saves changes only from file.txt to a new stash with a message. [OK]

Hint: Use git stash push with file names to stash specific files [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking it stashes all files without specifying
• Confusing stash with commit
• Assuming it deletes files

2. Which of the following is the correct syntax to stash only -index.html and style.css files?

easy

A. git stash push -- -index.html style.css

B. git stash push -- files -index.html style.css

C. git stash push -index.html style.css

D. git stash push -f -index.html style.css

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall the syntax for stashing specific files

   The correct syntax uses git stash push -- <files> to specify files.

2. Step 2: Identify the correct option

   git stash push -- -index.html style.css uses -- before file names, which is required to separate options from file paths.

3. Final Answer:

   git stash push -- -index.html style.css -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Use -- before files to stash specific files [OK]

Hint: Always use -- before file names in stash command [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Omitting -- before file names
• Using unsupported flags like -f
• Adding extra words like 'files'

3. Given these changes:
-file1.txt modified, file2.txt modified, file3.txt unchanged.
What will be the output of git stash push -- -file1.txt followed by git stash list?

medium

A. Shows an error because multiple files are modified.

B. Shows a stash with -file1.txt and file2.txt changes saved.

C. Shows a stash with only -file1.txt changes saved.

D. Shows no stash because file2.txt is not included.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand what git stash push -- -file1.txt does

   This command saves only changes from -file1.txt to a new stash.

2. Step 2: Check the stash list output

   After stashing, git stash list shows the new stash entry with only -file1.txt changes saved.

3. Final Answer:

   Shows a stash with only -file1.txt changes saved. -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Stash specific file = stash list shows that file only [OK]

Hint: Stash command saves only specified files, stash list shows saved entries [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming all modified files are stashed
• Expecting an error when multiple files are modified
• Confusing stash list output with file contents

4. You run git stash push -file1.txt but get an error: error: unknown option '-file1.txt'. What is the likely cause?

medium

A. You used the wrong command; git stash save is required.

B. The file -file1.txt does not exist.

C. You need to commit changes before stashing.

D. You forgot to add -- before the file name.

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze the error message

   The error says unknown option '-file1.txt', meaning Git treats the file name as an option.

2. Step 2: Identify correct syntax for stashing specific files

   You must use -- before file names to separate options from file paths.

3. Final Answer:

   You forgot to add -- before the file name. -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Missing -- causes unknown option error [OK]

Hint: Add -- before files to avoid option parsing errors [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Omitting -- before file names
• Assuming file must be committed first
• Using deprecated stash commands

5. You have modified -app.js, index.html, and style.css. You want to stash only -app.js and style.css, then later apply those changes back. Which sequence of commands correctly does this?

hard

A. git stash push -app.js style.cssgit stash apply

B. git stash push -m "partial stash" -- -app.js style.cssgit stash apply stash@{0}

C. git stash save -app.js style.cssgit stash pop

D. git stash push -app.js style.cssgit stash pop stash@{1}

Solution

1. Step 1: Stash specific files with a message

   Use git stash push -m "partial stash" -- -app.js style.css to stash only selected files with a label.

2. Step 2: Apply the correct stash entry

   Use git stash apply stash@{0} to apply the most recent stash explicitly.

3. Final Answer:

   git stash push -m "partial stash" -- -app.js style.css
   git stash apply stash@{0} -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Use -m and -- with files, then apply stash by name [OK]

Hint: Use -m for message and -- before files, then apply stash by reference [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using deprecated git stash save
• Omitting -- before file names
• Applying stash without specifying correct stash reference