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My goal involves having a file with the same name but different implementations in different branches. For example, I want to develop in a branch with verbose mode and another that works silently. Or, one branch uses a list, but the other uses a hash. Similar to prior question.

In my case, the changes are in a file with the same name. Unfortunately, checkout from one branch to the other merges the files of the same name (content?). In that case, the release version inherits the verbose print statements I had hoped to keep separate.

I learned and succeeded in using stash save; checkout; (edit other branch, add, commit); checkout back; and stash apply (to erase merge changes caused by checkout). It works, but the manual's examples (interrupted workflow, partial commits) suggest this is not the intended workflow. Creating an orphan branch for verbose destroys the history. Is there another way to switch between branches without carrying unintended changes to files with the same name?

Update I can't replicate the behavior any longer, despite seeing it five times before submitting here. It used to show the text below. But, I guess this question should be closed.

$ git checkout master
M   Test.java
Switched to branch 'master'
Community
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NMPrado
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2 Answers2

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From ""Difference Between 'assume-unchanged' and 'skip-worktree'", I would go with:

git update-index --skip-worktree -- a file
git update-index --no-skip-worktree -- a file

skip-worktree is useful when you instruct git not to touch a specific file ever.
That is handy for an already tracked config file.

VonC
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I think the following command is what you are looking for:

git update-index --assume-unchanged <file>

To undo run:

git update-index --no-assume-unchanged <file>
ebaxt
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