[PATCH v4 0/5] Advice on checkout dirty files

From: Arsh Srivastava via GitGitGadget <gitgitgadget@gmail.com>
Date: Mar 11, 2026, 08:50 UTC
Message-ID: <pull.2233.v4.git.git.1773219028.gitgitgadget@gmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <pull.2233.v3.git.git.1773149337.gitgitgadget@gmail.com>

This is my submission for microproject [GSOC]

This patch adds a new advice type ADVICE_STASH_BEFORE_CHECKOUT to help users when they attempt to switch branches with local modifications that would be overwritten by the operation.

The new advice follows the same patterns established by existing advice functions such as advise_on_updating_sparse_paths(). When triggered, it lists the affected files and suggests using git stash push/pop to save and restore local changes.

The advice can be silenced with:

git config set advice.stashBeforeCheckout false

Changes:

> advice.h: add ADVICE_STASH_BEFORE_CHECKOUT enum value advice.c: add
> "stashBeforeCheckout" to advice_setting[] and implement
> advise_on_checkout_dirty_files() function
> Documentation/config/advice.adoc: document the new advice key

Signed-off-by: Arsh Srivastava arshsrivastava00@gmail.com

Arsh Srivastava (5):
  advice: add stashBeforeCheckout advice for dirty branch switches
  advice: add stashBeforeCheckout advice for dirty branch switches
    [GSOC]
  unpack-trees: suggesting 'git checkout -m <branch>' with its
    repercussions
  Updating tests and unpack-tress.c [GSOC]
  File updation [GSOC]

 t/t6439-merge-co-error-msgs.sh | 6 ++++++
 t/t7406-submodule-update.sh    | 3 +++
 unpack-trees.c                 | 9 +++++++--
 3 files changed, 16 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

base-commit: d181b9354cf85b44455ce3ca9e6af0b9559e0ae2
Published-As: https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git/releases/tag/pr-git-2233%2FArsh123344423%2Fadvice_on_checkout_dirty_files-v4
Fetch-It-Via: git fetch https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git pr-git-2233/Arsh123344423/advice_on_checkout_dirty_files-v4
Pull-Request: https://github.com/git/git/pull/2233

Range-diff vs v3:

 1:  eb5639dbc3 = 1:  eb5639dbc3 advice: add stashBeforeCheckout advice for dirty branch switches
 2:  e88c851701 = 2:  e88c851701 advice: add stashBeforeCheckout advice for dirty branch switches [GSOC]
 -:  ---------- > 3:  4237b9667d unpack-trees: suggesting 'git checkout -m <branch>' with its repercussions
 -:  ---------- > 4:  b25ea22410 Updating tests and unpack-tress.c [GSOC]
 -:  ---------- > 5:  2ef7d5a3d6 File updation [GSOC]

-- 
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