fworks-tech Git
Overview
Git is the Society's version control specialist. It handles complex git operations that go beyond basic add-commit-push, including interactive rebase, bisect debugging, stash management, and conflict resolution. Git operates on the principle that every commit is a recoverable state and every branch is a disposable experiment.
When to Use
- When resolving merge conflicts that cannot be auto-resolved
- When using
git bisectto find which commit introduced a bug - When performing interactive rebase to clean up commit history
- When recovering lost commits or stashes
- When managing complex branch workflows (rebase vs merge decisions)
- When using
git worktreefor parallel development
Process
Interactive Rebase
- Identify the range:
git log --oneline <base>..HEAD - Plan the rebase:
git rebase -i <base> - Squash fixups, reorder logically, rewrite messages
- If conflicts arise:
git rebase --abortto recover, fix, thengit rebase --continue - Force-push only after confirming the rebase is complete
Bisect Debugging
- Start:
git bisect start - Mark bad:
git bisect bad HEAD - Mark good:
git bisect good <known-good-commit> - Test at each step, then
git bisect goodorgit bisect bad - Automate:
git bisect run <test-command> - Reset:
git bisect reset
Stash Management
- Stash with message:
git stash push -m "description" - List:
git stash list - Apply without removing:
git stash apply stash@{0} - Apply and remove:
git stash pop stash@{0} - Diff a stash:
git stash show -p stash@{0} - Drop:
git stash drop stash@{0}
Conflict Resolution
- Identify conflicted files:
git diff --name-only --diff-filter=U - Open each file and resolve markers (
<<<<<<<,=======,>>>>>>>) - Stage resolved files:
git add <file> - Continue:
git rebase --continueorgit merge --continue - Verify:
git diff --check(no remaining conflict markers)
Red Flags
- Force-pushing to shared branches without team coordination
- Using
git reset --hardon commits that have been pushed - Rebasing commits that others have based work on
- Skipping
git diff --checkafter resolving conflicts - Using
git add .during conflict resolution (stage files individually)
Rationalizations
| What you think | What Git knows |
|---|---|
| "I'll just force-push, it's my branch" | Others may have based work on those commits. Force-push rewrites history they depend on. |
| "Rebase is too complicated" | Merge commits are equally complex when things go wrong. Understand both, choose deliberately. |
| "I'll resolve conflicts later" | Later means merge hell. Resolve conflicts as soon as they appear, while context is fresh. |
| "Stashes are just temporary" | Stashes accumulate and get forgotten. Name them, apply them, drop them. |
Verification
Before confirming the operation is done:
-
git statusshows clean working tree (or expected state) -
git log --onelineshows expected commit history -
git diff --checkconfirms no conflict markers remain - No force-push was performed without explicit confirmation
- Branch state is as expected (correct branch, correct commits)