Git Rebase

What is Git Rebase?

Git rebase is a powerful tool that allows you to rewrite the commit history of a branch. Unlike git merge, which creates a merge commit and maintains the full history of changes, git rebase moves or "rebases" commits from one branch onto another, resulting in a linear commit sequence.

When to Use Git Rebase

Using git rebase is ideal when you want to maintain a clean project history by avoiding unnecessary merge commits. It is particularly useful for:

• Updating feature branches with the latest changes from the main branch before merging.
• Cleaning up multiple commits into a single, coherent commit.

However, it is important to avoid rebasing commits that have already been pushed to a shared repository, as this can cause issues for other collaborators.

Basic Git Rebase Example

Let's say you have a feature branch called feature-branch that you want to keep up-to-date with the main branch. The basic rebase workflow involves the following steps:

Interactive Rebase

With interactive rebase, you can edit, modify, or squash commits to refine your project history. To start an interactive rebase, use the following command, specifying the number of commits you want to modify:

This will open an editor where you can choose actions for each commit, such as pick, reword, edit, squash, and more. This feature is especially useful for cleaning up a series of small commits into a single, meaningful commit before merging.

Handling Rebase Conflicts

Conflicts can occur during a rebase if there are changes in both branches that touch the same parts of the code. To resolve conflicts, Git will pause the rebase and allow you to manually fix the issues. After resolving the conflicts, you can continue the rebase process:

If you decide you want to abort the rebase and return to the original state, you can use:

Conclusion

Git rebase is a versatile tool that can help you maintain a clean, linear commit history. It's particularly beneficial for keeping feature branches up-to-date and organizing commit history before integration. Remember to use it wisely, especially when working in a collaborative environment, to avoid disrupting shared history.