🔥 Merging Two Commits into One: A Git Rebase Dance Extravaganza!

Hey there, Git enthusiasts! 👋 Are you in a situation where you've got two commits that are just begging to be one, but you've already started the rebase train and can't seem to find the stop button? Fear not, my coding companion! We're about to embark on a thrilling journey through the land of Git, where we'll master the art of merging those pesky commits into one sleek, streamlined masterpiece. 🎉

The Setup: Your Current Git Scenario

Let's say you have a feature branch that you're working on, and you've made a couple of commits that you now realize should have been one. You've started an interactive rebase (git rebase -i), and you're looking at a list of commits that looks something like this:

pick 1234567 First commit message
pick 89abcdef Second commit message

The Plan: Merging Commits with Git Rebase

Here's the game plan: we're going to turn that pick 89abcdef into a squash or fixup, depending on how closely related the changes are.

The Squash Option 🍔

If the changes in the second commit are closely related to the first, you can squash them together. This means they'll become one commit with a combined commit message. Here's how you do it:

1. In your interactive rebase todo list, change the pick for the second commit to squash or s for short.

   pick 1234567 First commit message
   squash 89abcdef Second commit message
   

2. Save and close the editor. Git will then apply the changes and prompt you to create a new commit message for the combined commit. Craft a message that encapsulates the essence of both commits.

The Fixup Option 🛠️

If the second commit is a quick fix or a minor tweak to the first commit, you might prefer to use fixup. This will also merge the commits, but the second commit's changes will be attributed to the first commit without a separate commit message.

1. Just like with squash, change the pick to fixup in your interactive rebase todo list.

   pick 1234567 First commit message
   fixup 89abcdef Second commit message
   

2. Save and close the editor. Git will apply the changes, and the second commit will be merged into the first without altering the commit message.

Finalizing the Rebase 🏁

After you've made your choice and saved the changes, Git will continue the rebase process. If you chose to squash or fixup, you'll be prompted to create a new commit message (for squash) or the commit message will remain unchanged (for fixup).

Once you're done, you can conclude the rebase with git rebase --continue. If everything goes smoothly, you'll end up with a single commit that represents the changes from both of your original commits.

The Aftermath: What to Do Next

After you've successfully merged your commits, you might need to force push your changes if you're working with a remote repository, since the history has been altered. Use this command with caution:

git push origin your-branch-name --force

And there you have it! You've just turned two commits into one, all while keeping your Git history clean and understandable. 🎩🐙

Remember, the key to a successful Git rebase is understanding the power of pick, squash, and fixup. Use them wisely, and you'll be dancing through your Git commits like a pro in no time! 🕺💃

Happy coding, and may your commits always be mergeable! 🌟📝