How to Rewrite Git Commit History with Rebase

Introduction

In this tutorial, you will learn how to rewrite your Git commit history using the powerful rebase command. Rewriting commit history can be a valuable technique for cleaning up your commit log, maintaining a linear and organized Git repository, and preparing your project for collaboration or deployment. We'll cover the fundamentals of Git rebase and explore various rebase workflow scenarios to help you master this essential Git skill.

Skills Graph

Understanding Git Rebase

Git rebase is a powerful tool that allows you to rewrite the commit history of a Git repository. It is often used to keep the commit history clean, organized, and easy to understand. Rebase is particularly useful when working on a feature branch that has diverged from the main branch, or when you want to squash multiple commits into a single commit.

What is Git Rebase?

Git rebase is a command that allows you to move or combine a sequence of commits to a new base commit. When you rebase, you are essentially taking a set of commits and replaying them on top of a new base commit. This can be useful for a variety of reasons, such as:

• Cleaning up the commit history by squashing or rearranging commits
• Keeping your feature branch up-to-date with the main branch
• Incorporating changes from the main branch into your feature branch

Rebase Workflow

The basic Git rebase workflow involves the following steps:

1. Checkout the branch you want to rebase:

git checkout feature-branch

2. Rebase the branch onto the target branch (usually the main branch):

git rebase main

3. Resolve any conflicts that may arise during the rebase process.
4. Force push the rebased branch to the remote repository:

git push --force

Rebase Scenarios

Git rebase can be used in a variety of scenarios, including:

1. Squashing Commits: Combine multiple commits into a single commit for a cleaner commit history.
2. Rearranging Commits: Reorder the sequence of commits to make the history more logical and easier to understand.
3. Incorporating Changes from Main: Keep your feature branch up-to-date with the main branch by rebasing onto the latest commit.
4. Fixing Commit Messages: Modify the commit messages of previous commits to improve clarity and consistency.

By understanding the basics of Git rebase and the different scenarios in which it can be used, you can effectively manage and maintain the commit history of your Git repository.

Rewriting Commit History

Rewriting the commit history in Git is a common practice that can help you maintain a clean and organized repository. There are several reasons why you might want to rewrite your commit history, such as:

• Squashing multiple commits into a single commit for a cleaner history
• Rearranging the order of commits to improve the logical flow
• Fixing typos or mistakes in commit messages
• Removing sensitive information that was accidentally committed

Squashing Commits

One of the most common use cases for rewriting commit history is to squash multiple commits into a single commit. This can be done using the git rebase command with the -i (interactive) option. Here's an example:

git checkout feature-branch
git rebase -i main

This will open an editor where you can choose which commits to squash, reorder, or modify. Once you've made your changes, save the file and Git will rewrite the commit history accordingly.

Rearranging Commits

Another common use case for rewriting commit history is to rearrange the order of commits. This can be useful when you've made a series of commits that would be better organized in a different order. You can use the interactive rebase process to reorder the commits:

git checkout feature-branch
git rebase -i main

In the editor, you can change the order of the commits by rearranging the lines.

Fixing Commit Messages

If you've made a mistake in a commit message, you can use the interactive rebase process to fix it. Simply change the pick command to reword for the commit you want to modify, and Git will prompt you to enter a new commit message.

git checkout feature-branch
git rebase -i main

Removing Sensitive Information

If you've accidentally committed sensitive information, such as API keys or passwords, you can use the interactive rebase process to remove those commits from the history. This will ensure that the sensitive information is not pushed to the remote repository.

git checkout feature-branch
git rebase -i main

In the editor, you can delete the line for the commit containing the sensitive information.

By understanding these common use cases for rewriting commit history, you can effectively maintain a clean and organized Git repository.

Rebase Workflow Scenarios

Git rebase can be used in a variety of scenarios to help you maintain a clean and organized commit history. Here are some common workflow scenarios where rebase can be particularly useful:

Keeping Feature Branches Up-to-Date

When working on a feature branch, it's common for the main branch to receive new commits while you're still developing your feature. To keep your feature branch up-to-date, you can rebase it onto the latest commit of the main branch:

git checkout feature-branch
git rebase main

This will replay your feature branch's commits on top of the latest commit from the main branch, effectively incorporating any changes that have been made to the main branch.

Squashing Commits

If you've made a series of small, incremental commits while working on a feature, you can use rebase to squash them into a single, more meaningful commit. This can help keep your commit history clean and easy to understand:

git checkout feature-branch
git rebase -i main

In the interactive rebase editor, you can change the pick command to squash (or s for short) for the commits you want to squash.

Fixing Commit Messages

If you've made a mistake in a commit message, you can use rebase to fix it. Simply change the pick command to reword (or r for short) for the commit you want to modify, and Git will prompt you to enter a new commit message.

git checkout feature-branch
git rebase -i main

Removing Sensitive Information

If you've accidentally committed sensitive information, such as API keys or passwords, you can use rebase to remove those commits from the history. This will ensure that the sensitive information is not pushed to the remote repository.

git checkout feature-branch
git rebase -i main

In the interactive rebase editor, you can delete the line for the commit containing the sensitive information.

By understanding these common rebase workflow scenarios, you can effectively manage and maintain the commit history of your Git repository.

Summary

By the end of this tutorial, you will have a solid understanding of how to use Git rebase to rewrite your commit history. You'll be able to clean up your commit log, squash multiple commits, and reorganize your Git repository to maintain a linear and organized history. Mastering the "git rebase head" technique will empower you to keep your Git repository in top shape, making it easier to collaborate with others and manage your project's development.