How to Cherry-Pick a Commit from Another Branch in Git

What is Git Cherry-Pick?

git cherry-pick is a command that allows you to pick a commit from one branch and apply it onto another. This is useful when you need a specific change from another branch, but you don’t want to merge the entire branch. It avoids introducing unrelated changes.

Problem Scenario

Suppose you have two branches: main and feature. A critical bug was fixed in the feature branch. You need to apply this fix to the main branch immediately, without merging the whole feature branch, which is still under development.

feature branch log:

git log --oneline feature
a1b2c3d (feature) Add new experimental feature
d4e5f6g Fix critical bug #123
cba1a2d Start developing feature

main branch log:

git log --oneline main
f30abf4 (HEAD -> main) Release version 1.0

We need to get the commit d4e5f6g into the main branch.

Solution

1. Switch to the Target Branch

First, ensure you are on the branch where you want to apply the commit. In this case, it’s the main branch.

git switch main

2. Find the Commit Hash

You need the hash of the commit you want to cherry-pick. You can get this from the log of the other branch.

git log --oneline feature

From the output, the commit hash for the bug fix is d4e5f6g.

3. Run git cherry-pick

Now, use the cherry-pick command with the commit hash.

git cherry-pick d4e5f6g

Git will take the changes from that commit and apply them as a new commit on your current branch (main). The new commit will have a different hash but will contain the same changes and a similar commit message.

4. Verify the Result

Check the log of the main branch to see the new commit.

git log --oneline main
e9f8d7c (HEAD -> main) Fix critical bug #123
f30abf4 Release version 1.0

The fix is now on the main branch.

Handling Conflicts

Sometimes, a cherry-pick can result in a merge conflict. This happens if the changes in the commit you are picking conflict with the current state of your branch.

If a conflict occurs, Git will stop and let you resolve it.

1. Open the conflicting files.
2. Manually edit the files to resolve the conflict. Look for the <<<<<<<, =======, and >>>>>>> markers.
3. After resolving, stage the changes using git add <file_name>.
4. Continue the cherry-pick process by running:

   git cherry-pick --continue
   

If you want to abort the cherry-pick, you can use:

git cherry-pick --abort

Conclusion

git cherry-pick is a precise tool for applying specific commits from one branch to another. It’s perfect for situations like hotfixes or selectively sharing features between branches. Use it carefully to avoid creating duplicate changes where a merge would be more appropriate.