Pushing changes to a remote repository is a crucial part of collaborative software development. It allows you to share your work with others, synchronize changes, and maintain a shared project history. Understanding how to use git push effectively can save you from common pitfalls and improve your workflow.

In this chapter, we will delve deep into the mechanics of git push, explore its various options, and clarify what happens under the hood when you push your changes to a remote repository.

Understanding git push

At its core, git push is a command that allows you to upload local repository content to a remote repository. This operation is key to collaboration in Git workflows, enabling team members to access the latest changes made by others.

When you execute git push, Git sends your commits to the remote repository, where they can be integrated with the work of others. The basic syntax of the command looks like this:

What happens during a push?

When you run git push, several processes occur behind the scenes:

This process allows you to efficiently collaborate without unnecessarily transferring all the data every time you push.

Pushing Changes to a Remote Branch

Let’s walk through a practical example of using git push. Assume you’ve made some local changes on a branch called feature-xyz and want to share them with your team.

If you have set up your remote tracking branches correctly, you can simplify the command:

This will push the current branch to the corresponding remote branch.

What if the remote branch doesn’t exist?

If you attempt to push a new branch that does not exist on the remote, Git will create it for you. For example, if feature-xyz is a new branch, running:

will create the feature-xyz branch on the remote repository.

Handling Upstream Tracking

While it’s useful to push changes directly, establishing upstream tracking branches can streamline your workflow. When you set an upstream branch, Git remembers the relationship between your local branch and the remote branch.

You can set an upstream branch when you push for the first time:

The -u flag sets the upstream branch, allowing you to use git push and git pull without specifying the remote and branch name in future operations.

Viewing Your Tracking Branches

To see your current tracking branches, use:

This command provides a list of your branches, showing the upstream branches they track. Understanding these relationships helps you maintain clarity about where your changes are going and what you can pull.

Handling Conflicts When Pushing

One of the most common challenges you may face when using git push is encountering a conflict due to changes made in the remote repository since your last pull. This can happen in various scenarios, such as:

When this occurs, Git will prevent the push and display an error message indicating that a non-fast-forward update is required. To resolve this, follow these steps:

or

Resolving these conflicts might seem tedious, but it ensures that you are integrating your changes with the latest updates from your team.

Push Command Options

The git push command comes with various options that can be quite helpful in specific scenarios.

Here are some of the most common options you might want to use.

--force

This option allows you to overwrite changes in the remote repository with your local changes, even if it results in a non-fast-forward update.

You might need to use --force in situations such as:

--force-with-lease

A safer alternative to --force is --force-with-lease. This option ensures that the push will only occur if the remote branch has not been updated since you last fetched it.

Using --force-with-lease prevents unintentional overwrites of commits made by others. It checks the state of the remote branch against your last fetched state, adding a layer of safety. This command will fail if the remote branch has changed since your last fetch, allowing you to review changes before pushing.

--dry-run

The --dry-run option allows you to see what would happen if you executed a git push command without actually pushing any changes. This is particularly useful for verifying what will be sent to the remote.

Using --dry-run can help you:

--tags

The --tags option allows you to push all your local tags to the remote repository. Tags are useful for marking specific points in your project’s history, such as releases.

You should consider pushing tags when:

--set-upstream

The --set-upstream option sets the upstream tracking relationship between your local branch and a remote branch when you push. This means that subsequent git push and git pull commands will know which remote branch to interact with.

Establishing an upstream tracking branch simplifies your workflow. After setting it, you can use simplified commands without specifying the remote and branch each time.

This will push changes to origin/new-feature by default.

--delete

Deletes a branch on the remote repository.

Best Practices for Using git push

To ensure a smooth experience with git push, here are some best practices:

By adopting these practices, you can enhance your Git workflow and minimize issues during collaboration.