What is git cherry-pick and when to use it?

Apply specific commits to your current branch.

#When to Use

1. Hotfix to multiple branches ```bash

git checkout main git log # Find commit: abc123 git checkout release/v1.0 git cherry-pick abc123 ```

2. Pull single feature ```bash

git cherry-pick feature-commit-hash ```

#Basic Usage

```bash

git cherry-pick

git cherry-pick commit1 commit2 commit3

git cherry-pick start-commit^..end-commit ```

#Handle Conflicts

```bash $ git cherry-pick abc123

$ git add . $ git cherry-pick --continue

$ git cherry-pick --abort ```

#Real Example

```bash

git checkout main git log --oneline

git checkout production git cherry-pick abc123 git push ```

#Best Practices

✅ DO:

• Cherry-pick bug fixes to release branches
• Port urgent fixes across versions
• Extract specific features

❌ DON'T:

• Cherry-pick many commits (use merge/rebase)
• Cherry-pick from public branches frequently
• Use as primary integration method

#Interview Q&A

Q: Cherry-pick vs merge? A: Cherry-pick: select specific commits. Merge: integrate entire branch history.

Q: Does cherry-pick create new commit? A: Yes, creates new commit with same changes but different hash.