git stash — Temporarily Saving Work

Putting Work on Hold

Stash saves your uncommitted changes to a temporary stack so you can switch branches or pull without losing your work:

git stash               # save all changes (tracked files)
git stash push -m "WIP: login form"   # save with a label

git stash list          # see all stashes
# stash@{0}: WIP: login form
# stash@{1}: On main: some old thing

git stash pop           # restore latest stash + remove from stack
git stash apply         # restore latest stash but KEEP it in stack
git stash apply stash@{1}  # restore a specific stash
git stash drop stash@{0}   # delete a specific stash
git stash clear         # delete all stashes

Common scenario

# Working on feature, urgent bug arrives
git stash
git switch hotfix-branch
# fix the bug, commit, push...
git switch feature-branch
git stash pop

Your Task

You've been editing work.txt but haven't committed. Stash your changes, make an "emergency" commit on a clean working tree, then pop the stash back.