git-stash

Stash current changes with a message, except new (untracked) files

$ git stash push [[-m|--message]] [stash_message]

$ git stash [[-u|--include-untracked]]

$ git stash [[-p|--patch]]

$ git stash list

$ git stash show [[-p|--patch]] [stash@{0]}

$ git stash apply [optional_stash_name_or_commit]

$ git stash pop [optional_stash_name]

$ git stash clear

git stash [push] [options] [--] [<pathspec>]
git stash { list [<options>] [<pattern>] | show [<options>] [<stash>] | drop [<options>] <stash>... | pop [<options>] [<stash>] | apply [<options>] [<stash>] | branch <branchname> [<stash>] | clear | empty | create | store [<options>] <commit> }

-p, --patch
    interactively select hunks to stash (push, list, show)

-k, --keep-index
    keep staged files in index (push)

--staged
    stash only staged changes (push, Git 2.35+)

-u, --include-untracked
    stash untracked files too (push, pop, apply)

-a, --all
    stash untracked and ignored files (push, pop, apply)

-q, --quiet
    suppress messages (push, drop, store)

-m, --message <message>
    override stash message (push, store)

--grep=<pattern>
    list stashes matching pattern (list)

--stat
    show diffstat (show)

--patch
    show patch (show, list)

--index
    apply working directory and index (pop, apply)

--help
    display help

git stash is a Git subcommand that temporarily saves (stashes) uncommitted changes in the working directory and staging area, reverting them to match the last commit. This enables clean switches between branches or tasks without committing incomplete work.

It creates a hidden commit stored in refs/stash, allowing multiple stashes indexed as stash@{0} (latest), stash@{1}, etc. By default, it stashes tracked files' changes (staged and unstaged) but ignores untracked files.

Key uses: quickly fix urgent bugs on other branches, experiment safely, or collaborate by sharing stashes. Subcommands manage the stash stack: push (default) to save, list to view, pop/apply to restore, drop/clear to remove, show to inspect, branch to branch from a stash, and create/store for advanced scripting.

Options customize behavior, like including untracked files (-u) or keeping the index (-k). Restoring may cause merge conflicts, resolved manually like any merge.

Does not stash untracked/ignored files by default.
Restoring (pop/apply) may cause conflicts needing manual fix.
Stash@{n>0} can be lost if refs/stash corrupted or garbage collected.
save deprecated since Git 2.13; use push.

Stashes stored as stash@{0} (top), stash@{n}. Use git stash list to view; git stash show -p stash@{1} previews.

git stash push -m 'WIP'
git checkout other-branch
git stash pop
Or git stash branch newfeat stash@{0} to recover.

Introduced in Git 1.6.3 (June 2008) by Shawn O. Pearce. Evolved with subcommands: push added in 2.13 (2017) replacing deprecated save; --staged in 2.35 (2022). Widely used for workflow flexibility in modern Git (2.40+).

git-add(1), git-commit(1), git-branch(1), git-checkout(1), git-cherry-pick(1)