What is Cherry-pick?
Cherry-pick lets you copy a single commit from one branch to another. It’s useful when you want just one (or a few) changes, not everything from another branch.
What is a Patch?
A patch is a file with changes from one or more commits. You can share a patch or apply it to another repository, even if it’s unrelated to your own.
How to Cherry-pick a Commit
Copy a single commit to your current branch:
git cherry-pick abc1234
This creates a new commit with the same changes.
Change the Commit Message
git cherry-pick abc1234 --edit
Apply Changes Without Committing
git cherry-pick abc1234 --no-commit
This stages the changes so you can edit them before committing.
Add Commit Origin
git cherry-pick abc1234 -x
Adds a line to the commit message like:
(cherry picked from commit abc1234)
Handling Conflicts
If a conflict happens:
# Fix conflicts manually, then:
git add .
git cherry-pick --continue
To cancel the cherry-pick:
git cherry-pick --abort
How to Create a Patch
Make a patch file for a single commit:
git format-patch -1 abc1234
For the last 3 commits:
git format-patch HEAD~3
How to Apply a Patch
Apply patch without keeping metadata:
git apply 0001-some-change.patch
Apply patch and keep original author & message:
git am 0001-some-change.patch
Reverse a Patch
Undo the changes in a patch:
git apply -R 0001-some-change.patch
Troubleshooting & Best Practices
- Cherry-pick conflicts: If you encounter conflicts while cherry-picking, resolve them manually, then run
git cherry-pick --continue
to finish the process. If you decide to stop, you can cancel the cherry-pick with:
git cherry-pick --abort
- Patch doesn’t apply cleanly: Ensure the patch was created from a codebase compatible with yours. If there are issues, you might need to adjust and apply it manually
- Keep branches updated: Always pull the latest changes before cherry-picking commits or applying patches. This helps prevent unnecessary conflicts and keeps your history clean.
