Git Worktree: Your Ticket to Parallel Development Paradise

Introduction

We've all been there: deep in the zone, crafting that perfect feature, when suddenly—bam!—a bug report comes crashing in, demanding immediate attention. The frustration of having to switch gears from feature development to bug fixing is enough to make any developer want to hurl their keyboard out the window. But fear not, dear developer, for Git Worktree 🌳 is here to save the day!

The Struggle

Picture this: you're knee-deep in code, crafting the next killer feature for your app. Every line of code is a masterpiece, and you're on fire. But just as you're about to unleash your creation upon the world, a bug report comes swooping in like a pesky mosquito on a summer night.

Now, you're faced with the dreaded task of stashing your current changes, switching branches, fixing the bug, and then trying to remember where you left off with your feature. It's enough to make you want to pull your hair out!

The Old Way

• Frantically type git stash into your terminal, hoping it'll save your precious changes.
• Switch to the branch for the bug fix with git checkout bug-fix-branch.
• Fix the bug, test, commit, and push your changes.
• Return to your feature branch with git checkout feature-branch.
• Pray to the demo gods that everything still works.

The Solution: Git Worktree to the Rescue!
Enter Git Worktree, the hero we never knew we needed. With Git Worktree, you can create separate working trees for different branches, allowing you to switch between tasks seamlessly without the hassle of stashing and switching.

Git Worktree in Action

Creating a Worktree:

git worktree add ../bug-fix bug-fix-branch

This command creates a new working directory called bug-fix with the bug-fix-branch checked out.
Fixing the Bug:Head over to the bug-fix directory, fix that pesky bug, and commit your changes like a boss.
Returning to Your Feature:

cd ../feature

You're back in your feature branch, right where you left off, ready to conquer the world once again!
Additional Git Worktree Commands:

Listing Worktree

git worktree list

This command lists all the active worktrees along with their associated branches.
Removing Worktrees

git worktree remove <path-to-worktree>

This command removes the specified worktree and its associated directory.
Moving Worktrees

git worktree move <path-to-worktree> <new-path>

This command moves a worktree to a new location.

Conclusion

With Git Worktree, the days of context switching woes are behind us. Say goodbye to stash pop nightmares and hello to seamless task switching. So go forth, dear developer, and conquer the coding world with confidence, knowing that Git Worktree has your back!

A Little Dev Humor

And to all the bugs out there that love to crash our parties uninvited: Git Worktree 🌳 is our secret weapon, and we're not afraid to use it! So bug off, because we've got code to ship!🚀

Comments

[Christophe Colombier]

Good article, git worktree are barely used unfortunately. I think it's because most IDE fails to handle them properly.

[meenachan]

Thanks!
Yes that's true too.
Sometimes with git I usually find devs only know few commands which we have learnt during initial years of learning programing.
I myself wasn't aware of git worktree and found it only when I looked for a better way to stash 😁
I also came across gitbulter (a git client) which essential would help in this too.