Git Diff Cached

Mike Moore — Mon, 13 Jul 2020 16:08:44 +0000

Recently, I've been doing some semi-experimental UI work, where I know what changes I need to make but some of the details aren't clear to me. So, I end up making the changes, but I've changed more files than I want to include in a single commit. Using git, there are a few different ways to pick and choose which changes should be staged for a commit. One of the most common methods I use goes like this:

make changes
stage some of the changes for commit (using git add)
reviewing the staged (added) changes
making the commit

In this post, I am briefly going to explain how I do step #3 above, "reviewing the staged (added) changes".

Basically, if I have just staged changes using git add, then a normal git diff won't show me those changes. It will only show me the changes that have not been staged. So, I add the --cached option:

git diff --cached

...and, voila! I can see the diff of the changes that are currently staged for commit.

If you are new to git, this is how you can scroll up and down, and exit the diff, using the following keyboard shortcuts:

j scroll down
k scroll up
q quit

So, if I'm satisfied with the changes, I can go ahead and commit:

git commit -m 'my commit message'

...or, if I realize that the changes should not be combined, I can "un-stage" them:

git reset HEAD .

From the official docs:

This form is to view the changes you staged for the next commit relative to the named .

https://git-scm.com/docs/git-diff#Documentation/git-diff.txt-emgitdiffemltoptionsgt--cachedltcommitgt--ltpathgt82308203

Git Commit Amend

Mike Moore — Sat, 11 Jul 2020 18:33:26 +0000

I want to start writing regularly again so I thought I'd share one of my favorite git commands:

git commit --amend --no-edit

I use this command to combine just added changes into the last commit I made.

Here is a scenario:

Let's say I have just edited a file and already commited it, but then I realize I made a typo before I push my changes. I can edit the file, add the change (stage it), and then run git commit --amend --no-edit. This will put my typo fix into the latest commit and replace that commit's hash with a new hash. This is usually referred to as "rewriting history" in git. Now, I can push my change up as one commit, instead of two.

Here is what the official docs say about the --amend option:

Replace the tip of the current branch by creating a new commit.

https://git-scm.com/docs/git-commit#Documentation/git-commit.txt---amend

Forem: Mike Moore

Git Diff Cached

Git Commit Amend