git-freeze

git-freeze is a git extension that archives and restores branches.

When a branch is archived, it is moved to a new ref-namespace, refs/freezer, and so doesn't appear in the list of branches. This is useful when some of your branches are decided to be dead ends or experimental and no longer needed, but you may want to restore or review them at a later date.

Usage

To archive a branch:

$ git freeze BRANCH_NAME
Freezing branch: BRANCH_NAME

The branch reference is copied to refs/freezer/BRANCH_NAME and then the branch is deleted.

To list frozen branches:

$ git freeze --list
BRANCH_NAME (0d1e2a3d)
ANOTHER_BRANCH_NAME (4b5e6e7f)

To restore a branch:

$ git freeze --thaw FROZEN_BRANCH_NAME
Thawing branch: FROZEN_BRANCH_NAME

The branch reference is copied from refs/freezer/BRANCH_NAME and the frozen branch is deleted.

Frozen branches can also be pushed to a remote:

$ git freeze --push REMOTE_NAME FROZEN_BRANCH_NAME
Total 0 (delta 0), reused 0 (delta 0)
To REMOTE_URL
 * [new branch]      refs/freezer/FROZEN_BRANCH_NAME -> refs/freezer/FROZEN_BRANCH_NAME

If REMOTE_NAME is not provided, it is defaulted to origin.

To list frozen branches on a remote:

$ git freeze --list --remote REMOTE_NAME
From REMOTE_URL
BRANCH_NAME (f001f00d))

To fetch a frozen branch from a remote:

$ git freeze --fetch REMOTE_NAME FROZEN_BRANCH_NAME
Fetching frozen branches
From REMOTE_URL
 * [new branch]      refs/freezer/t2 -> refs/freezer/t2

To fetch all frozen branches from origin:

 $ git freeze --fetch
 From REMOTE_URL
  * [new branch]      refs/freezer/FROZEN_BRANCH -> refs/freezer/FROZEN_BRANCH
  * [new branch]      refs/freezer/ANOTHER_FROZEN_BRANCH -> refs/freezer/ANOTHER_FROZEN_BRANCH

To delete a frozen branch from a remote:

$ git freeze --push --delete REMOTE_NAME FROZEN_BRANCH_NAME
To file:///Users/scott.moynes/Code/src/tests/test-remote/
 - [deleted]         refs/freezer/t2

Author

Scott Moynes [email protected] Twitter: @smoynes

License

MIT License. See LICENSE for terms.