tomjaguarpaw / git-split

git-split, a tool that allows you to split git commits

git-split

What is git-split?

git-split is the name of this project, which provides a shell script, called split.sh, for splitting git commits.

Quickstart

Suppose you have, somewhere in your git history, this commit that contains two logically separate changes and you want to split it into two separate commits. You can do that with git-split!

commit abc123...

  Add foobar() and be verbose

+def foobar():
+    x = foo()
+    bar(x, True)
+
 def baz():
-    quux(n=42, verbose=False)
+    quux(n=42, verbose=True)

To split it, simply run

$ sh .../split.sh bash abc123

git-split will drop you into a new bash shell, ready to split the commit abc123 into separate pieces. For example, you might want to use git commit --patch --verbose and commit just the addition of foobar(). You'll get a commit like the following.

commit def456...

  Add foobar()

+def foobar():
+    x = foo()
+    bar(x, True)
+

Then type exit 0. git-split will commit the rest of abc123 on top and return you to your shell. You'll get another commit, on top of the one that added foobar(), like the following.

commit ghi789...

  Add foobar() and be verbose

 def baz():
-    quux(n=42, verbose=False)
+    quux(n=42, verbose=True)

This commit gets the commit message of abc123 so you might want to follow git-split's suggestion about rewording the remnants of the split.

If you make a mistake type exit 1 and git-split will return you to where you were when you started.

That's it!

Usage summary

1. Run sh .../split.sh bash <id-of-commit-to-split>

   (where .../ is the path to where you put split.sh on your file system, and you can use your favorite shell in place of bash, of course)

2. Commit the first part of the split

   (you might like to use git commit --patch --verbose)

3. Run exit 0

   (or if you get stuck you can run exit 1 and the split will be cancelled, returning you to where you started)

Questions and feedback

If you have any difficulty using split.sh, any questions or any feedback, then file an issue.