Git Tips n' Tricks

git_tips_n_tricks.md

Remove local git tags that are no longer on the remote repository

From Git v1.7.8 to v1.8.5.6, you can use this:

git fetch <remote> --prune --tags

with all Git version since v1.7.8, you can use the following command:

git fetch --prune <remote> +refs/tags/*:refs/tags/*

You may need to enclose the tags part with quotes (on Windows for example) to avoid wildcard expansion:

git fetch --prune <remote> "+refs/tags/*:refs/tags/*"

NOTE: in all these cases would be likely be "origin" or whichever remote you might usually reference.

Prune local branches

To update the local list of remote branches:

git remote update origin --prune

This will clear the references of unexistents branchs of remote.

How to update a branch without checkout

As long as you're doing a fast-forward merge, then you can simply use

git fetch <remote> <sourceBranch>:<destinationBranch>

You cannot merge a branch B into branch A without checking out A first if it would result in a non-fast-forward merge. This is because a working copy is needed to resolve any potential conflicts.

Example:

git fetch . master

Merging

To overwrite your work in your branch and take their work, you should make:

git merge --strategy=recursive -X theirs {remote/branch} --> example:origin/master

Resolve easy/obvious conflicts

If solution is to accept local/our version, run:

git checkout --ours PATH/FILE

If solution is to accept remote/other-branch version, run:

git checkout --theirs PATH/FILE