Putting uncommitted changes at Master to a new branch by Git

How can you put uncommitted changes to a branch TEST when I am at the branch master?


Also you can create a new branch and switch to it by doing:

git checkout -b new_branch
git add .

I use this all the time because I always forget to start a new branch before I start editing code.


You can just checkout to the test branch and then commit. You don't lose your uncommited changes when moving to another branch.

Supposing you are at the master branch:

git checkout test
git add .
git add deletedFile1
git add deletedFile2
...
git commit -m "My Custom Message"

I am not really sure about the deleted files, but I guess they aren't included when you use git add .


Why not just use git stash. I think it's more intuitive like a copy-and-paste.

$ git branch
  develop
* master
  feature1
  TEST
$

You have some files in your current branch that you want to move.

$ git status
# On branch master
# Changes to be committed:
#   (use "git reset HEAD <file>..." to unstage)
#
#      modified:   awesome.py
#
# Changed but not updated:
#   (use "git add <file>..." to update what will be committed)
#
#      modified:   linez.py
#
$
$ git stash
Saved working directory and index state \
  "WIP on master: 934beef added the index file"
HEAD is now at 934beef added the index file
(To restore them type "git stash apply")
$
$ git status
# On branch master
nothing to commit (working directory clean)
$
$
$ git stash list
stash@{0}: WIP on master: 934beef ...great changes
$

Move to the other branch.

$ git checkout TEST

And apply

$ git stash apply
# On branch master
# Changed but not updated:
#   (use "git add <file>..." to update what will be committed)
#
#      modified:   awesome.py
#      modified:   linez.py
#

I also like git stash because I use git flow, which complains when you want to finish a feature branch whilst having changes still in your working directory.

Just like @Mike Bethany, this happens to me all the time because I work on a new problem while forgetting I am still on another branch. So you can stash your work, git flow feature finish..., and git stash apply to new git flow feature start ... branch.