Git sync all local tracking branches with remotes

.gitconfig

[alias]
	tracking = "!f() { git for-each-ref --format '%(refname:short):%(upstream:short)' 'refs/heads' | egrep -v ':$'; }; f"
	is-clean-workdir = "!f() { git diff --stat --exit-code || { echo \"Workdir dirty\"; exit 1; }; }; f"
	is-clean-index = "!f() { git diff --stat --cached --exit-code || { echo \"Index dirty\"; exit 2; }; }; f"
	is-clean = "!f() { git is-clean-workdir && git is-clean-index; }; f"
	co-merge = "!f() { local=\"$1\"; remote=\"$2\"; git checkout \"$local\"; git merge --ff-only \"$remote\"; }; f"
	current-branch = rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD
	sync = "!f() { git is-clean || { echo Aborting sync.; exit 1; }; current=$(git current-branch); git fetch --all; git tracking | while IFS=: read local remote; do echo \"Merging $local with $remote\"; git co-merge \"$local\" \"$remote\"; done 3>&1 1>&2 2>&3 | egrep -i --color 'fatal|$' 3>&1 1>&2 2>&3; git checkout \"$current\"; }; f"

Solves this issue:

• I want to sync all my local tracking branches at once
• I want this operation to be safe. In other words, in case of local modifications or diverging branches, warn and don't touch the history (and do not tamper with uncommitted modifications)

After searching a lot for a simple solution, I ended up with my own (not so simple) solution, based on a series of git aliases (code to be added to the .gitconfig file).

⚠ This is fresh code, not yet so heavily tested.

Usage: git sync

---

Some explanations:

tracking = "!f() { git for-each-ref --format '%(refname:short):%(upstream:short)' 'refs/heads' | egrep -v ':$'; }; f"

→ This will retrieve all local tracking branches and the corresponding remote branch, colon separated.

is-clean-workdir = "!f() { git diff --stat --exit-code || { echo \"Workdir dirty\"; exit 1; }; }; f"
is-clean-index = "!f() { git diff --stat --cached --exit-code || { echo \"Index dirty\"; exit 2; }; }; f"
is-clean = "!f() { git is-clean-workdir && git is-clean-index; }; f"

→ These will verify that there are no pending changes in the workdir.

co-merge = "!f() { local=\"$1\"; remote=\"$2\"; git checkout \"$local\"; git merge --ff-only \"$remote\"; }; f"

→ This takes 2 arguments (a local branch and a remote branch), it will checkout the local branch and merge it with the remote branch. It uses --ff-only to avoid creating commit merges ⇒ In case of diverging local branch, it will issue a "fatal: Not possible to fast-forward, aborting." message on STDERR.

current-branch = rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD

→ Retrieve name of the branch currently checked out. Will be used to put the workdir back in its initial state, at the end.

sync = "!f() { git is-clean || { echo Aborting sync.; exit 1; }; current=$(git current-branch); git fetch --all; git tracking | while IFS=: read local remote; do echo \"Merging $local with $remote\"; git co-merge \"$local\" \"$remote\"; done 3>&1 1>&2 2>&3 | egrep -i --color 'fatal|$' 3>&1 1>&2 2>&3; git checkout \"$current\"; }; f"

→ That's the main part. Let's split this into parts:

git is-clean || { echo Aborting sync.; exit 1; }

→→ Aborts the command if there is pending work in the workdir.

current=$(git current-branch)

→→ Stores the name of the branch currently checked-out.

git fetch --all

→→ Sync remote branches from all remotes (--all).

git tracking | while IFS=: read local remote; do ...

→→ Iterates over each local tracking branch.

3>&1 1>&2 2>&3 | egrep -i --color 'fatal|$' 3>&1 1>&2 2>&3

→→ Highlights errors (containing the 'fatal' keyword). The "3>&1 1>&2 2>&3" magical formula exchanges STDOUT and STDERR, it is necessary to be able to pipe STDERR to the egrep command.

git checkout "$current"

→→ Restore the workdir to its initial state.

Cross-posted on: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/27157166/sync-all-branches-with-git/51208315#51208315

thanks for sharing!

I used your great script and added an automated stash before and after because I'm more lazy than you :D
https://gist.github.com/a7madgamal/f581763eaff88dd1d4ddc044cd4e6807