Stashing
Stashes are a convenient way to temporarily store the current Working Tree changes (either all changes, or just selected changes) aside, and then re-apply them later. For example, stashes are useful if you realize that you have started making changes to files in the Working Tree without first checking out the correct branch.
Creating a Stash
Use Local | Stash All to stash away all local modifications of your working tree, and provide a brief message to describe the stash. To stash away only the selected files, use Local | Stash Selection. The resulting stash will show up in the Branches view.
By default, after the stash operation, SmartGit will clear the Index and Working tree (allowing checkout of another branch). However, SmartGit offers the option of retaining changes to the Index and Working Tree if required.
Note
The option Include untracked files (Preferences, page Commands) is convenient to include untracked files for the stash as well. Depending on the operating system it may take significantly longer to execute the operation.
Applying a Stash
To apply a stash to the current state of the Working Tree, right-click the stash and select Apply Stash to re-apply the contained changes to your Working Tree (e.g. after switching branches).
Other Stash Commands
The following commands can be executed by right-clicking on a Stash (under Stashes in the Branch View):
- To get rid of obsolete stashes, use Drop Stash, however be aware that this will irretrievably delete any changes which are stored in the stash.
- The Rename Stash command allows you to change the displayed stash message.
- Compare with HEAD / Compare with Selected Commit allows you to compare the contents of the stash against the HEAD / selected commit, respectively.
- Copy Message copies the stash message of the selected Stash into the OS clipboard.