Mastering the Art of Cherry Picking Commits Across Git Branches- A Comprehensive Guide

How to Cherry Pick a Commit from Another Branch in Git

Cherry picking in Git is a powerful feature that allows you to select specific commits from one branch and apply them to another branch. This is particularly useful when you want to apply a specific fix or feature from one branch to another without merging the entire branch. In this article, we will guide you through the process of cherry picking a commit from another branch in Git.

Before you begin, make sure you have a basic understanding of Git branches and how to create and switch between them. Now, let’s dive into the steps to cherry pick a commit from another branch.

Step 1: Identify the Commit You Want to Cherry Pick

The first step is to identify the commit you want to cherry pick. You can do this by using the `git log` command with the `–oneline` option to see a list of commits in a compact format. Look for the commit hash that corresponds to the commit you want to cherry pick.

Step 2: Switch to the Destination Branch

Next, switch to the branch where you want to apply the commit. Use the `git checkout` command followed by the branch name. For example, if you want to apply the commit to the `main` branch, run the following command:

git checkout main

Step 3: Cherry Pick the Commit

Now that you have identified the commit and switched to the destination branch, you can cherry pick the commit using the `git cherry-pick` command. Replace `commit_hash` with the actual commit hash you identified in Step 1:

git cherry-pick commit_hash

This command will apply the selected commit to the current branch. If the commit is successful, you will see a message indicating that the commit was cherry-picked. If there are any conflicts, Git will pause the process and prompt you to resolve the conflicts manually.

Step 4: Resolve Conflicts (if any)

In case of conflicts, you need to resolve them by editing the conflicting files. Once the conflicts are resolved, you can continue the cherry pick process by running the following command:

git cherry-pick --continue

Repeat this command until all conflicts are resolved and the cherry pick process is complete.

Step 5: Verify the Cherry-Picked Commit

After the cherry pick process is complete, verify that the commit has been successfully applied to the destination branch. Use the `git log` command to check the commit history and ensure that the commit is present in the destination branch.

And that’s it! You have successfully cherry picked a commit from another branch in Git. This feature can be incredibly useful for applying specific changes from one branch to another without the need for a full merge.