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Real-World Git Workflows
Rebase vs merge (when to use each); interactive rebase (squash, edit, reorder, drop); stash, cherry-pick, reset; resolving merge conflicts with strategies; reflog and recovery from common mistakes.
Module Content
Rebase vs Merge
The two ways to integrate changes. When each is better, and the philosophical 'rewrite history vs preserve history' debate. FIND_VIDEO: search 'git rebase vs merge tutorial' — recommended channel: Atlassian / Fireship. Aim for 11 min or under.
Recap — When to Rebase, When to Merge
The mechanics of rebase, the trade-offs, and team conventions around the choice.
Interactive Rebase
Rewrite your branch's history: squash, edit, reorder, drop commits before sharing. The history-cleanup superpower. FIND_VIDEO: search 'git interactive rebase tutorial squash' — recommended channel: Fireship / Atlassian. Aim for 10 min or under.
Recap — Squash, Edit, Reorder, Drop Commits
Interactive rebase commands and the typical pre-PR cleanup workflow.
Scenario 3 — Interactive Rebase Cleanup
Clean up a messy commit history before opening a PR. Squash WIPs, reword messages, drop a bad commit.
Drill — Botched-Rebase Recovery
Recover from a force-pushed rebase that dropped commits, using reflog + ORIG_HEAD, and repair the remote ref. Optional interleaved drill after the rebase lessons.
Stash, Cherry-pick, Reset
Three utility commands for common situations: temporary save (stash), copy a specific commit (cherry-pick), move pointers (reset). FIND_VIDEO: search 'git stash cherry-pick reset tutorial' — recommended channel: Atlassian / Fireship. Aim for 10 min or under.
Recap — The 'Oh No' Toolkit
Stash for context-switching, cherry-pick for plucking commits, reset for moving branch pointers. Plus the three reset modes.
Resolving Merge Conflicts
The conflict markers, the strategies, and the tools that make resolution easier (mergetool, IDE integrations). FIND_VIDEO: search 'git merge conflict resolution tutorial' — recommended channel: Fireship / Atlassian. Aim for 10 min or under.
Recap — Conflict Markers and Resolution Strategies
The anatomy of a conflict, the three sections (HEAD, incoming, merged), and how to resolve cleanly.
Scenario 2 — Merge Conflict Drill
Practice resolving merge conflicts in a controlled scenario. Multiple conflict types; learn the markers and the flow.
Reflog & Recovery
The safety net you didn't know you had. Reflog records every HEAD movement; almost everything is recoverable. FIND_VIDEO: search 'git reflog recovery lost commits' — recommended channel: Atlassian / Fireship. Aim for 9 min or under.
Recap — Why You Almost Never Lose Work
How reflog works, when it saves you, and the cases where work IS lost (rare).
Scenario 4 — Recover Lost Commits with Reflog
Simulate losing commits via reset and rebase, then recover them. Build muscle memory for the safety net.
Drill — Detached-HEAD Rescue
Recover a commit made while HEAD was detached using reflog, then recreate the branch. Optional interleaved drill after the reflog lessons.