How to Merge Only One Commit to Master Without All Commits from a Branch

Learn how to effectively manage git branches and merge only specific commits to master in this detailed guide. Skip unnecessary merges and keep your history clean!
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How to Merge Only One Commit to Master Without All Commits from a Branch

In the world of version control with Git, sometimes you may find yourself wanting to merge only a specific commit from a development branch (like dev) to your main branch (like master). This can be particularly relevant if you have multiple commits in dev that you do not want to integrate into master just yet. For instance, you might have releases or features that are still in progress, while a particular commit is ready for production.

Understanding the Problem

Consider the following situation:

You have two branches, dev and master, with the following commits:

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Here, you wish to merge only commit E from the dev branch into the master branch. After the merge, the branches should look like this:

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The question is: How can you accomplish this without merging all past commits?

Solution Overview

To achieve this goal, we have several techniques at our disposal. Below are three effective strategies:

1. Cherry Pick

Description:
Cherry picking is a Git command that lets you select specific commits from one branch to apply onto another.

Steps to follow:

Create a new branch based on master:

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Cherry-pick commit E:

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Merge the topic branch into the master branch:

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Result:
You now have commit E on your master branch. Following a git rebase master on the dev branch will ensure that commit E disappears from dev, as they are effectively the same.

2. Interactive Rebase

Description:
Interactive rebasing allows you to reorder commits and even pick certain commits to apply to a different branch.

Steps to follow:

Perform an interactive rebase on the dev branch:

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Move commit E up in the list, just before commit C.

Create a branch from commit E:

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Merge topic back into master:

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Result:
Commit E is now part of master. You can rebase dev onto master to keep your branches clean.

3. Rebase --onto

Description:
Using git rebase --onto is a powerful way to move specific commits from one branch to another.

Steps to follow:

Create a new branch based on dev:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Execute the rebase:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Now, if you rebase dev onto master, commit E will (again) be seamlessly incorporated.

Result:
Your master branch now includes commit E while dev remains untouched until further development is done.

Conclusion

Choosing the right commit to merge into your master branch is crucial for maintaining a clean project history. Leveraging methods like cherry picking, interactive rebasing, and rebase --onto allows you to selectively merge commits, ensuring only the necessary changes are included in your main branch.

By following the clear steps outlined in this post, you can manage your git branches effectively and keep your project's history organized and meaningful.

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