commit split¶

Split git commits into smaller, logical chunks.

This command takes a commit (usually HEAD) and breaks its changes down into smaller, individual commits.
It is extremely useful during interactive rebases when you want to split a monolithic commit into clean, atomic pieces.

Usage¶

git-wrench commit split <commit>

What it does¶

The splitting behavior depends on how many files were modified in the commit:

Case A: Multiple files in the commit¶

If the commit consists of multiple files, it is split per file:

1. Resets the index and working tree state to the parent of the commit (HEAD~1), leaving the modifications unstaged.
2. Stages and commits each file individually.
3. Appends the suffix - $filename (e.g. - src/main.py) to the original commit message.
4. Preserves the original author name, email, and date for each split commit.

Case B: Only one file in the commit¶

If the commit contains changes to only a single file, it is split per diff hunk:

1. Resets the index and working tree state to the parent of the commit (HEAD~1).
2. Extracts individual hunks from the file’s unified diff.
3. Stages and commits each hunk sequentially.
4. Appends the suffix - [idx/chunks_count] (e.g. - [1/3]) to the original commit message.
5. Preserves the original author name, email, and date for each split commit.

Examples¶

# Split the current HEAD commit (e.g. while editing in an interactive rebase)
git-wrench commit split HEAD

Notes¶

• Current HEAD Safety Check: To prevent accidentally altering or orphaning commits in your branch history, the command enforces that the <commit> argument matches the current HEAD commit of your branch.
• Clean Repository Requirement: The command requires a perfectly clean working directory (no unstaged or staged changes) before running. This prevents your active, uncommitted changes from accidentally being mixed with the commit being split.
• Shorthand Alias: To save typing, you can also run this command using the split alias:
  

  git-wrench split HEAD