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Asked: 2024-09-24T22:35:24+05:30 In:

How can one remove a stash that was created using the git stash create command in Git?

Hey everyone, I’ve been diving deep into Git lately, and I stumbled across something that’s got me scratching my head. I was trying to manage my workflow more efficiently, so I decided to use `git stash create` to temporarily save some changes. It seemed like a great solution to keep my workspace clean without losing my progress. But now I’m in a bit of a bind.

I created a stash and went on my merry way, but I didn’t realize until later that I’ve got a lot of stashes piling up. I know there’s a way to remove specific stashes, but I can’t seem to remember the exact command to get rid of the one I created. What adds to my confusion is that I’ve seen different commands floating around the internet for clearing stashes and I don’t want to mess anything up or accidentally delete something I actually need.

So, here’s my situation. I’ve got a stash that I created earlier, and while I can see that it’s there when I run `git stash list`, I’m just unsure about the steps to properly remove it without affecting the others. I know there are commands like `git stash drop` but there might be nuances when you’re dealing with a stash made specifically with `git stash create`. I’m not entirely sure if I should specify the stash’s name or if I should just use its index.

Also, if anyone could clarify whether it’s possible to remove multiple stashes at once or if I have to do it one by one, that would be super helpful.

I really want to clean up my stashes and keep my repository organized, so any insight or experiences you guys have with this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a bunch!

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    2 Answers

    1. Hey! I can totally relate to your stash situation. It can get super cluttered in there, right? Alright, so here’s how you can clean things up.

      When you run git stash list, you’ll see all your stashes listed out like this:

      git stash@{0}: WIP on main: 1234567 Commit message
git stash@{1}: WIP on main: 89abcde Another commit message

      To remove a specific stash, you can use git stash drop stash@{n}, where n is the index of the stash you want to remove. So, if you want to remove the one at index 0, you’d run:

      git stash drop stash@{0}

      If you created the stash with git stash create, it’s basically treated the same, so no worries there. You can drop it just like any other stash.

      Now, if you want to get rid of multiple stashes, unfortunately, you have to do it one by one using the git stash drop command. There’s no single command to remove several at once. A bit annoying, I know!

      Just be careful not to drop a stash that you still need. If you’re unsure about a stash, you can view its contents first with:

      git stash show stash@{n}

      This will show you a summary of the changes in that stash, so you can decide if you want to keep it or not.

      Happy stashing (or un-stashing)! Good luck!


    2. To remove a specific stash created with `git stash create`, you can use the `git stash drop` command followed by the stash reference. When you run `git stash list`, each stash will have an index number as well as a unique identifier (e.g., `stash@{0}`, `stash@{1}`, etc.). If you want to remove the stash that is currently at index 0, you’d use the command git stash drop stash@{0}. This will allow you to remove that specific stash without affecting any others you may have stored. Alternatively, you can specify the index number directly, like so: git stash drop 0, which also effectively does the same thing.

      If you’re looking to clean up multiple stashes at once, `git stash clear` is the command that replaces all stashes with a clean slate, but be cautious as this deletes all of them, not just specific ones. Unfortunately, Git does not provide a built-in command to drop multiple stashes selectively in a single command. Therefore, if you wish to keep certain stashes and clear out others, you will need to drop each stash individually using `git stash drop` with their respective identifiers. This may seem tedious, but it ensures that you have precise control over which stashes are removed from your workspace.


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