Stashing specific files in Git - Step-by-Step Execution

Process Flow - Stashing specific files

Modify files in working directory

↓

Select specific files to stash

↓

Run git stash push -m "msg" -- <files>

↓

Git saves changes of selected files

↓

Working directory: selected files reverted, others unchanged

↓

Later: git stash list to see stash

↓

Apply or drop stash as needed

This flow shows how to stash changes from only certain files, leaving others untouched, then manage the stash later.

Execution Sample

Git

git stash push -m "Save changes to file1 only" -- file1.txt
# Stashes changes only in file1.txt, not others

This command saves changes from file1.txt into a stash, leaving other files' changes in place.

Process Table

Step	Command/Action	Files Changed	Stash Content	Working Directory State
1	Modify file1.txt and file2.txt	file1.txt, file2.txt	None	file1.txt and file2.txt modified
2	git stash push -m "Save file1" -- file1.txt	file1.txt, file2.txt	file1.txt changes saved	file1.txt reverted, file2.txt still modified
3	git stash list	None	stash@{0}: Save file1	file1.txt reverted, file2.txt still modified
4	git stash apply stash@{0}	file1.txt, file2.txt	stash@{0}: Save file1	file1.txt and file2.txt modified
5	git stash drop stash@{0}	None	None	file1.txt and file2.txt modified

💡 After stashing specific files, only those files revert; stash can be applied or dropped later.

Status Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 1	After Step 2	After Step 3	After Step 4	After Step 5
file1.txt	clean	modified	clean (stashed)	clean (stashed)	modified (restored)	modified
file2.txt	clean	modified	modified (unchanged)	modified (unchanged)	modified (unchanged)	modified
stash list	empty	empty	stash@{0}: Save file1	stash@{0}: Save file1	stash@{0}: Save file1	empty

Key Moments - 3 Insights

Why does file2.txt remain modified after stashing file1.txt?

Because the stash command included only file1.txt, git saved and reverted changes only for that file, leaving file2.txt untouched as shown in step 2 of the execution_table.

What happens if you run 'git stash apply' after stashing specific files?

The stashed changes for the selected files are reapplied to the working directory, restoring their modified state as seen in step 4.

Does the stash disappear immediately after pushing changes?

No, the stash remains in the stash list until explicitly dropped, visible in step 3 and removed in step 5.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution_table at step 2: What is the state of file1.txt after stashing?

A Deleted

B Modified

C Clean (reverted)

D Untracked

💡 Hint

Check the 'Working Directory State' column at step 2 in the execution_table.

At which step does the stash list show the saved stash?

A Step 1

B Step 3

C Step 2

D Step 5

💡 Hint

Look at the 'stash list' variable in variable_tracker and the 'Stash Content' column in execution_table.

If you stash both file1.txt and file2.txt, how would the working directory state change after stashing?

A Both files revert to clean

B Both files remain modified

C Only file1.txt reverts, file2.txt stays modified

D Only file2.txt reverts, file1.txt stays modified

💡 Hint

Refer to the behavior shown in step 2 where only selected files revert after stashing.

Concept Snapshot

git stash push -m "message" -- <files>
- Saves changes only from specified files
- Reverts those files in working directory
- Other files remain unchanged
- Use git stash list to see saved stashes
- Apply or drop stash later as needed

Full Transcript

This visual execution shows how to stash changes from specific files using git. First, you modify multiple files. Then you run 'git stash push' with the file names to stash only those files. Git saves changes from those files and reverts them in your working directory, while other files stay modified. The stash is listed with 'git stash list'. Later, you can apply the stash to restore changes or drop it to remove. This helps manage partial changes safely.