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The stash command saves your uncommitted changes temporarily, allowing you to switch contexts and come back to your work later. Unlike Git’s cryptic stash, wit provides clear, intuitive stash management.

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Quick Reference

wit stash                 # Save changes with auto-generated message
wit stash save "message"  # Save with custom message
wit stash list            # List all stashes
wit stash show [n]        # Show stash contents
wit stash pop [n]         # Apply and remove stash
wit stash apply [n]       # Apply stash (keep in list)
wit stash drop [n]        # Remove a stash
wit stash clear           # Remove all stashes

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Saving Changes

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Basic Stash

# Stash all modified and staged files
wit stash

# Output:
# ✓ Saved working directory and index state
#   stash@{0}: On main: WIP: 3 modified, 1 staged

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Stash with Message

# Stash with a descriptive message
wit stash save "work in progress on login feature"

# Or use the -m flag
wit stash -m "debugging API issue"

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What Gets Stashed

File StateStashed?
Staged changesYes
Modified tracked filesYes
Untracked filesYes
Deleted filesYes
Ignored filesNo

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Viewing Stashes

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List All Stashes

wit stash list

# Output:
# stash@{0} on main: WIP: 3 modified (2 minutes ago)
# stash@{1} on feature-x: Login form styling (3 hours ago)
# stash@{2} on main: API integration WIP (yesterday)

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Show Stash Contents

# Show latest stash
wit stash show

# Show specific stash
wit stash show 1

# Output:
# stash@{1}: Login form styling
# Branch: feature-x
# Date: 3/15/2024, 2:30:00 PM
#
# Staged changes:
#   src/components/Login.tsx
# Modified files:
#   src/styles/login.css
#   src/utils/auth.ts

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Applying Stashes

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Pop (Apply and Remove)

# Apply latest stash and remove it from the list
wit stash pop

# Apply specific stash
wit stash pop 2

# Output:
# ✓ Applied and removed stash@{0}
#   WIP: 3 modified

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Apply (Keep Stash)

# Apply latest stash but keep it in the list
wit stash apply

# Apply specific stash
wit stash apply 1

# Output:
# ✓ Applied stash@{1}
#   Login form styling
# Stash kept. Use "wit stash drop" to remove it.
Use apply when you want to apply the same stash to multiple branches, or when you’re not sure if the application will succeed.

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Removing Stashes

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Drop Specific Stash

# Remove a specific stash
wit stash drop 0

# Output:
# ✓ Dropped stash@{0}

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Clear All Stashes

# Remove all stashes
wit stash clear

# Output:
# ✓ Cleared 3 stash(es)
wit stash clear is irreversible. The stashed changes will be permanently deleted.

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Common Workflows

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Quick Context Switch

# You're working on feature-x but need to fix a bug on main
wit stash
wit switch main

# Fix the bug
wit commit -m "Fix critical bug"

# Return to your feature work
wit switch feature-x
wit stash pop

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Apply Stash to Different Branch

# Stash changes on current branch
wit stash

# Switch and apply to different branch
wit switch other-branch
wit stash apply

# If it worked, clean up
wit stash drop

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Preview Before Applying

# See what's in the stash before applying
wit stash show 0

# Check if current branch is clean
wit status

# Apply the stash
wit stash pop

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Stash Specific Files

While wit stashes all changes by default, you can stage specific files first: 
# Only stash certain files
wit add file1.txt file2.txt
wit stash

# The stash will preserve which files were staged vs modified

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How wit Stash Differs from Git

AspectGitwit
Default messageGeneric “WIP on branch”Auto-generated with counts
Time displayNone in listShows relative time
Apply feedbackMinimalClear success/failure messages
Show commandRequires flags for detailsShows all relevant info
Staged preservationRequires —keep-indexAutomatic

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Stash Internals

wit stores stashes in .wit/stash/stash.json as compressed JSON, containing:
  • File contents (base64 encoded)
  • File permissions
  • Staged vs. unstaged status
  • Branch name at stash time
  • Base commit hash
This means stashes are portable and can be inspected directly if needed.

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Tips

Always use descriptive messages with wit stash save "message" to remember what each stash contains.
Use wit stash show before popping to ensure you’re applying the right stash.
Regularly review and clean up your stash list. Old stashes often become irrelevant.
If you’re stepping away for more than a few hours, consider using wit wip to create a WIP commit instead of stashing.

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Troubleshooting

If applying a stash causes conflicts, resolve them manually and then drop the stash:
wit stash apply
# Resolve conflicts in files
wit add .
wit stash drop
If you applied the wrong stash, you can undo:
wit checkout .  # Discard the applied changes
wit stash apply <correct-number>
Unfortunately, wit stash clear is permanent. Consider using wit snapshot for more persistent checkpoints.
  • wit wip - Create a quick WIP commit instead of stashing
  • wit snapshot - Create named checkpoints
  • wit switch - Switch branches (auto-stashes by default)