Every once in a while, I use a test branch for experimentation... I can commit the experimental branch, checkout the previous branch, and then delete the experimental branch...

I am looking for a way to simply abandon the experimental branch when I am done with it... I figured just swapping branches would abandon the changes, but this actually keeps all of the new files, even after changing branches. The only way I have right now to make this work is the three-step process I listed above...

I have read the Git documentation a few times now, so I am thinking there may be a way to use the 'Rebase' command to make this work? I will appreciate getting pointed in the right direction on this one.

CodePudding user response：

If you are abandoning without committing, then you never needed an experimental branch to start with. You've done things in the wrong order. Do it like this:

1. Stay on the real branch.
2. Do some initial experimentation.
3. Decide whether to abandon or keep moving forward in the experiment.
   1. If abandon, git reset --hard etc. as described in other answer.
   2. If keep moving, git switch -c experiment; git add .; git commit and now keep working on the experimental branch.

CodePudding user response：

You can cancel all your change with git reset --hard Untracked files will remain you can delete them with git clean

So from an existing branch you do your experimentation then

git reset --hard

to reset all your change Then

git clean -fd

to remove untracked files and directory

You can do a dry run to tell you what files will be removed

git clean -n 

This will only list the files, to list down the folders use

git clean -nd