git-stack

A command-line tool for managing stacked git branches. Develop features on top of one another, keep history clean, and sync with GitHub.

Installation

cargo install --git https://github.com/wbbradley/git-stack --locked

Quick Start

git stack                    # show your stack
git stack sync               # sync local state with GitHub (push + pull)
git stack checkout feature   # create branch "feature" as child of current branch
# ...make changes, commit...
git stack restack            # restack the current branch onto its parent
git stack diff               # diff against parent branch
git stack pr create          # create GitHub PR with correct base branch

Commands

View Your Stack

git stack                    # show the stack tree (alias: git stack status)

Create Branches

git stack checkout feature   # create "feature" stacked on current branch

Restack Branches

git stack restack            # restack current branch onto its parent
git stack restack -afp       # fetch, recursively restack from trunk, push on success

The -afp flags:

• -a / --ancestors: recursively restack all ancestors from trunk up to current branch
• -f / --fetch: fetch updates from remote first
• -p / --push: push branch updates to remote on success

Diff Against Parent

git stack diff               # diff against parent branch

Create Pull Requests

git stack pr create          # create GitHub PR with correct base branch

Change Parent Branch

git stack mount <parent>     # stack current branch on a different parent

This only updates git-stack metadata, not git history. Use restack afterward to keep this branch in sync with its parent.

Delete Branches

git stack delete <branch>    # remove a branch from the stack

Note that git stack sync will automatically prune local branches that are duplicates of the remote branch, or have already been merged.

Workflow Example

# Start on main
git stack checkout auth      # create auth branch
# ...implement auth, commit...

git stack checkout login     # create login branch (child of auth)
# ...implement login, commit...

git stack                    # see your stack tree
git stack restack -afp       # sync everything and push
git stack pr create          # create PR for current branch

Stack Storage

Stack state is stored per-repo in ~/.local/state/git-stack/state.yaml.

Troubleshooting

If git stack reports issues:

• Ensure your working tree is clean (git status)
• Resolve rebase conflicts with standard git commands (git mergetool, then git rebase --continue)
• Rerun git stack restack after resolving conflicts

License

GPL2