Stash only unstaged changes with git (not --keep-index)

Question

First of all, I do know about --keep-index. This is not what I want because it still stashes all changes, but leaves the staged one in the worktree. I would like to only stash the unstaged files, if possible without adding all changes again with git stash --patch.

Answer 1

If you want to store the diff between the index (what's staged) and the worktree (what's not staged yet), this simply is git diff :

# store it :
git diff > stash.patch

# if you additionally want to put the unstaged changes away :
git stash -k

To apply at later these changes on the worktree (not on the index) : use git apply

git apply stash.patch

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You could also use what gets stored in the stash to re-create that diff :

# stash the changes :
git stash -k

# to reapply them on the worktree at a later time :
#   the 'unstaged changes' are the diff between 
#    - what the index was (stash^2)
#    - and what the worktree was (stash)
git diff stash^2 stash | git apply -

# again : 'git apply' will apply the changes on the *worktree*, not the index

Answer 2

Best I can come up with is:

git commit -n -m temp
git stash push -u
git reset HEAD~1

This will commit without triggering any pre-commit hooks. Then it will stash the changes that remain (i.e. the unstaged changes from before). Finally, it will reset head back to the pre-commit state (before the "temp" commit).

Answer 3

You cannot do it direclty, but you can eventually isolate only unstaged or only staged changes, or both, without even using any git-stash command at all :

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git switch -c separated-stashes

Equivalent to the old checkout -b : creates a new branch and switch on it. It won't change neither your worktree nor your index so you'll basically have the same git status' output as before, but this time on the new branch. Contrary to a simple git switch / git checkout, it won't warn you to stash or commit your changes before switching branches, because you are explicitly creating a brand new branch through -c/-b.

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git commit -m "staged"

Create a first commit on the new branch containing only staged changes from the beginning.

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git add -u && git commit -m "unstaged"

Create a second commit with unstaged changes from the beginning.

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git switch - # == git checkout -

Go back to the previous branch you were on.

Now you have stashed everything and can cherry-pick what you need (staged / unstaged) wherever and whenever you want.

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This might look a little cumbersome but you're free to define a git alias to automate it :

git config --global alias.bratisla '!git switch -c separated-stashes; git commit -m "staged changes"; git add -u; git commit -m "unstaged changes"; git switch -' # why this name ? : youtu.be/LpE1bJp8-4w