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Git - Creating Git Patch Files
Git Patch
Git has a lot of functions, but one that is less well-known but quite helpful is the ability to create and apply patches.
The differences between two versions of a file are contained in a patch, which enables developers to exchange, recommend, and implement changes between repositories.
The fundamentals of using patches in Git, such as how to make and use them and their advantages for change management and teamwork, will be covered in this article.
Git Patch File
A Git patch file is a document that records changes made to a repository. It includes a list of variations, or diffs, between two file versions or sets of related files.
This file makes code review and merging processes easier by enabling developers to apply changes from one machine to another.
Git patches are particularly useful for sharing updates without needing a central repository.
They may also be useful in moving changes between repositories or branches.
Git patches have their roots in the Unix patch program, which was once used in older Unix systems to keep track of file discrepancies.
Creating Git Patch Files
Use the git format-patch command to create a Git patch file.
For commits that are in a given branch but not the current branch, this tool creates patch files.
The target directory, where the patches are to be saved, and the name of the branch are required by the command.
git format-patch <branch> <options>
There won't be any output from running git format-patch on the current branch without specifying a different branch.
Creating a Git Patch for a Specific Commit
Use the git format-patch command to create a patch for a single commit instead of all branch modifications.
Use the following command to create a patch from the most recent commit:
git format-patch HEAD~1
A .patch file for the most recent commit in the current branch is created by this command.
Git patches can be used in place of cherry-picking when concentrating on one or two particular commits rather than all branch differences.
Use the git format-patch command with the -1 option and the commit SHA to create a patch file for a particular commit:
git format-patch -1 <commit_sha>
This command generates a .patch file for the specified commit.
Creating a Git Patch from Multiple Commits
To create patches from multiple commits, specify the range of commits using the git format-patch command.
For example, use the following to create patches for the latest four commits:
git format-patch HEAD~4
Four .patch\ files are generated by this command, one for each of the previous four commits.
Creating a Git Patch from a Specific Commit Range
Use the git format-patch command with the start and end commit hashes to generate patches from a certain range of commits. For example:
git format-patch <start-commit-hash> <end-commit-hash>
All commits inside the given range result in .patch files being created by this command.
Applying a Patch File
In Git, apply a patch file by using the git apply command and the patch file name:
git apply <patch-file-name>
The patch file's changes are applied to the working directory by using this command.
Applying and Committing a Git Patch File
These are the steps to apply a Git patch file and make a commit for it:
1. Check Out the desired Branch:
Make sure we are on the branch where the patch should be applied:
git checkout <branch-name>
2. Apply the Patch:
Apply the patch file and make a new commit with the same message and metadata as the original commit by using the git am command:
git am <patch-file-name>
3. Applying Multiple Patch Files:
Using the git am command, we can apply many patch files at once when using them.
There are two basic methods for doing this:
Using a Wildcard: To apply all patch files at once, if they are in the same directory and share a file extension (such as .patch), we can use a wildcard:
git am *.patch
All patch files in the current directory that have the .patch extension are applied by this command.
Listing Files Individually: List each file separately if we wish to apply a particular patch file:
git am patch1.patch patch2.patch patch3.patch
The supplied patch files are applied by this command in the listed order.
Both methods apply the changes from the patch files and create corresponding commits in the current branch.
4. Resolving Conflicts During Patch Application:
If the changes in a patch cannot be properly integrated with the current code in the branch, conflicts may occur while applying the patch using Git. Heres how to resolve these kinds of conflicts:
5. Identifying Conflicts:
If Git encounters conflicts while applying a patch, it will alert us.
Files that cause conflict will be indicated in the working directory.
6. Resolving Conflicts:
Manually resolve the conflicts in the affected files.
To fix the discrepancies between the patch and the current code, open the files and make the necessary changes.
7. Marking Conflicts as Resolved:
To stage the files that have been resolved, run the following command after conflicts have been settled:
git add <file-with-conflicts>
8. Continuing the Patch Application:
After staging the resolved files, continue the patch application process with:
git am --continue
With this command, Git is instructed to continue applying the remaining patches.
9. Aborting the Patch Application:
The following tools can be used to stop the patch application process if it becomes too difficult or if we choose not to apply the patch:
git am --abort
This command will stop the patch application and revert any changes made during the process, returning the repository to its state before the patch application began.