How to Drop a Git Stash

Introduction

Before we discuss how to drop a git stash, let's first understand-What is a Git Stash?

Git Stash allows developers to set aside their unfinished work and uncommitted files, work on something else that requires immediate attention, and later return to the stashed work. Until they are restored or removed, Git keeps the stashes locally in a special ref.

In this tutorial, you will learn to delete a Git stash. We will also address a few FAQs on how to drop a git stash.

Advantages

Improved repository cleanliness: Dropping a stash allows you to eliminate unnecessary saved changes, keeping your repository cleaner and more organized. This can make it easier to navigate and understand the commit history.
Enhanced performance: Large or numerous stashes can impact the performance of your Git repository. By dropping unnecessary stashes, you can improve repository performance, especially when dealing with a substantial number of saved changes.
Reduced confusion: Stashing changes is useful for temporarily saving work, but leaving excessive or obsolete stashes can lead to confusion. By dropping irrelevant stashes, you decrease the chances of mistakenly applying or referencing outdated changes later.
Saves disk space: Each stash occupies disk space in your repository. By dropping unneeded stashes, you can free up disk space, which can be valuable in scenarios where storage capacity is limited.
Faster bug isolation: Dropping irrelevant stashes can make it easier to isolate and identify specific code changes related to a bug or issue. With fewer distractions and unnecessary stashes, you can focus on the relevant changes and expedite the debugging process.

Prerequisites

Git installed (install Git on Ubuntu, macOS, Windows, CentOS 7, or CentOS 8).
A Git repository.

Drop the Most Recent Stash

To remove the most recent Git stash that was created, run:

git stash drop

The most recent stash is erased by the command. But before you execute the command, make sure you really want to remove the stash because there isn't a warning or confirmation prompt.

2. Drop a Specific Stash in Git

Git references previous stashes through the reflog of the refs/stash reference, and stores the most recent stash in refs/stash. The syntax for the reflog is:

stash@{n}

This represents the stash index: {n}. stash@{0} is the most recent stash; stash@{1} is the previous one, and so on. To obtain a stash list and find out which index is required before deleting a particular stash, use the following command:

git stash list

All stashes are listed in the output along with their corresponding indexes. Use the following syntax to eliminate a particular stash:

git stash drop stash@{n}

Enter the index number of the stash that you wish to remove for {n}. For instance, to remove stash@{3}, execute:

git stash drop stash@{3}

The command advances the indexes of each stash in the stack and deletes the designated stash.

3. Drop All Git Stashes

Use the following command to remove every stash from the ref after working on a project is complete:

git stash clear

The command removes every stash without displaying a warning or a confirmation prompt.

FAQs on How to Drop a Git Stash

How can I list all the existing stashes in Git?

To list all existing stashes, you can use the command git stash list. It will show the stash index, description, and branch where the stash was created.

Can I drop a specific stash by its index?

Yes, you can drop a specific stash by its index using the command git stash drop <stash_index>, where <stash_index> is the index of the stash you want to drop.

What happens if I accidentally drop a stash? Can I recover it?

No, dropping a stash is irreversible, and the discarded changes cannot be recovered. It's important to double-check before dropping a stash to avoid losing any valuable work.

Does dropping a stash affect the current working tree?

No, dropping a stash only affects the saved changes associated with that stash. It does not modify your current working tree or any committed changes.

Can I drop a stash from a different branch?

Yes, you can drop a stash from any branch in your Git repository. Stashes are not branch-specific.

Are stashes shared among team members in a collaborative Git repository?

Stashes are stored locally in each user's Git repository and are not shared by default. Each user can choose to drop or apply their own stashes independently.