# git-stack
> **Stacked branch management for Git**
[](https://codecov.io/gh/epage/git-stack)
[][Documentation]
[](https://crates.io/crates/git-stack)
Dual-licensed under [MIT](LICENSE-MIT) or [Apache 2.0](LICENSE-APACHE)
## Documentation
- [About](#about)
- [Installation](#install)
- [Getting Started](#getting-started)
- [Reference](docs/reference.md)
- [FAQ](#faq)
- [Comparison](docs/comparison.md)
- [Contribute](CONTRIBUTING.md)
- [CHANGELOG](CHANGELOG.md)
## Status
**This software is pre-release / prototype.** We only recommend this for people who are
willing to go the extra mile when [filing bug reports](CONTRIBUTING.md). Extra
effort is needed to create bug reports that are actionable as we need to
iterate on how best to help people in creating good Issues. While we still
need to spend more time hardening, we do not expect any data loss with default
features.
## About
Like Stacked-Diffs? `git-stack` is [another approach](docs/comparison.md) to bringing the
[Stacked Diff workflow](https://jg.gg/2018/09/29/stacked-diffs-versus-pull-requests/)
to PRs that aims to be unintrusive to a project's workflow. Branches are the unit
of work and review in `git-stack`. As you create branches on top of each
other (i.e. "stacked" branches), `git-stack` will takes care of all of the
micromanagement for you.
Unfamiliar with Stacked-Diffs? `git-stack` helps keep all of your local
branches up-to-date, especially when you have a branches off of branches (i.e.
stacked)
For example, from your development branch, run:
```bash
jira-3423423 $ git-stack --pull
```
`git-stack`:
1. Auto-detects your parent remote branch (e.g. `main`).
2. Performs a `git pull --rebase <remote> <parent>`
3. Rebases `jira-3423423` (and any dev branches on the stack) onto `<parent>`
4. Shows the stacked branches
The closest equivalent is:
```bash
jira-3423 $ git checkout main
main $ git pull --rebase upstream main
main $ git checkout jira-3154
jira-3154 $ git rebase HEAD~~ --onto main
jira-3154 $ git checkout jira-3259
jira-3259 $ git rebase HEAD~ --onto jira-3154
jira-3259 $ git checkout jira-3423
jira-3423 $ git rebase HEAD~ --onto jurao-3259
jira-3423 $ git log --graph --all --oneline --decorate main..HEAD
```
Parent branch auto-detection works by separating the concept of
upstream-controlled branches (called "protected branches") and your development
branches.
Features:
- Upstream parent branch auto-detection
- Maintain branches relative to each other through rebase
- Defers all permanent changes until the end (e.g. HEAD, re-targeting
branches), always leaving you in a good state
(similar to [`git revise`](https://github.com/mystor/git-revise/))
- Separates out pull/push remotes for working from a fork
- On `--push`, detects which branches are "ready" (e.g. root of stack, no WIP)
- Undo support: backs up branch state prior to rewriting history
Non-features
- Conflict resolution: `git-stack` will give up and you'll have to use
`git rebase` yourself to resolve the conflict.
To see how `git-stack` compares to other stacked git tools, see the [Comparison](docs/comparison.md).
## Install
[Download](https://github.com/epage/git-stack/releases) a pre-built binary
(installable via [gh-install](https://github.com/crate-ci/gh-install)).
Or use rust to install:
```bash
cargo install git-stack
```
## Getting Started
### Configuring `git-stack`
**Protected branches:** run `git-stack --protected -v` to test your config
- To locally protect additional branches, run `git-stack --protect <glob>`.
- When adopting `git-stack` as a team, you can move the protected branches from
`$REPO/.git/config` to `$REPO/.gitconfig` and commit it.
**Pull remotes** when working from a fork (upstream is a different remote than
`origin`), in `$REPO/.git/config`, set `stack.pull-remote` to your remote.
To see the config, run `git-stack --dump-config -`.
For more, see [Reference](docs/reference.md).
### Using
```bash
# Update branches against upstream
git-stack --pull
# Start a new branch / PR
git switch -c feature1
git add -A; git commit -m "Work"
git add -A; git commit -m "More Work"
git add -A; git commit --fixup HEAD~~
# See what this looks like
git-stack
# To push whats ready
git-stack --push
```
## FAQ
### How do I stack another branch (PR) on top of an existing one?
- Append: `git switch feature1 && git switch -v feature2` and start adding commits
- Move: `git rebase HEAD~~ --onto feature1`
- Move: `git-stack --rebase --base HEAD~~ --onto feature`
### How do I add a commit to a branch (PR)?
- If this is for fixing a problem in a previous commit, `git commit --fixup
<ref>` and then `git-stack --rebase` will move it to where it needs to be.
- If this is to append to the PR, for now you'll have to use `git rebase -i`
### How do I start a new feature?
- `git switch feature1 && git switch -c feature2` and start adding commits
### Why don't you just ...?
Have an idea, we'd love to [hear it](https://github.com/epage/git-stack/discussions/categories)!
There are probably `git` operations or workflows we haven't heard of and would
welcome the opportunity to learn more.
### How do I stack my PRs in Github?
Currently, Github is limited to showing all commits for a branch, even if some
of those commits are "owned" by another PR. We recommend only posting one PR
at a time within a stack. If you really need to, you can direct your reviewers
to the commits within each PR to look at. However, you will see the CI run
status of top commit for each PR dependency.
[Crates.io]: https://crates.io/crates/git-stack
[Documentation]: https://docs.rs/git-stack