Git & Github - Overview, Commands

Squash the Last 3 Commits (Replace 3 with ):

1. Start an Interactive Rebase: Run the following command

    git rebase -i HEAD~3
   

   • This tells Git to interactively rebase the last 3 commits.
2. Edit the Commit List: You will see a list of the last 3 commits in your editor.

    pick abc123 Commit message 1
    pick def456 Commit message 2
    pick ghi789 Commit message 3
   

   • The pick keyword means “keep this commit as is.”
3. Modify the List to Squash Commits: Change the second and third commits from pick to squash (or just s):

    pick abc123 Commit message 1
    squash def456 Commit message 2
    squash ghi789 Commit message 3
   

4. Save and Close the Editor: After modifying, save and close the editor. Git will squash the commits into one.

5. Edit the Commit Message: Git will then prompt you to edit the new commit message. You will see something like this:

    # This is a combination of 3 commits.
    # The first commit's message is:
    Commit message 1
   
    # The following commit messages will also be included:
    Commit message 2
    Commit message 3
   

   • Edit this message as desired, keeping only the relevant parts. For example:

      Combined commit message
     

   • Save and close the editor.

6. Finish the Rebase: Git will complete the rebase, and the last 3 commits will be combined into one.

7. Pushed commits: If you’ve already pushed these commits to a remote repository (before starting the squash process), use git push --force to update the branch after squashing. For example:

    git push origin branch-name --force