Git is a distributed version control system designed to handle everything from small to very large projects with speed and efficiency. Git allows multiple developers to work on the same project simultaneously, each with their own local copies of the project. These copies can later be synchronized with the main repository and with each other.
In Git, squashing refers to the process of taking multiple commits and merging them into a single commit. This is often done to clean up a series of smaller changes that should be represented as a single logical change in the repository's history.
To squash your last N commits, you'll use the git rebase command in interactive mode (-i). If you want to squash the last 3 commits, you'd do:
git rebase -i HEAD~3
This command tells Git to
rebasethe last 3 commits, and the-iflag initiates the process in interactive mode.
Upon executing the command, an editor (commonly Vim or Nano, depending on your configuration) will open, displaying a list of the last N commits:
pick a1b2c3d First commit messagepick e4f5g6h Second commit messagepick i7j8k9l Third commit message
pick: This is a command in the interactive rebase. It means "use this commit" or, in other words, keep the commit as it is.
a1b2c3d,e4f5g6h, andi7j8k9l: These are abbreviated commit hashes. They uniquely identify commits in your Git history.
First commit message,Second commit message, andThird commit message: These are the commit messages associated with the respective commit hashes.
After selecting the commits to squash, you'll be prompted to define a new commit message for the squashed commit. This is your chance to provide a concise and descriptive message that encapsulates all the changes.
Save and close the editor. Git will then squash the specified commits into a single commit with the new message you provided.
If you've already pushed commits before squashing, you'll need to force push the changes to overwrite the commit history on the remote repository:
git push origin <your-branch-name> --force
Note: Always exercise caution when force pushing, as it can overwrite changes on the remote repository. Ensure you communicate with your team before performing such actions.
Squashing in Git allows you to combine multiple commits into a single commit, streamlining and tidying up your commit history. It's useful in collaborative environments to maintain a clean and understandable log, ensuring that each commit represents a meaningful, standalone change.
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