Search code examples
gitintellij-ideagit-stash

What is the difference between IntelliJ's Shelve and Git stash?


IntelliJ supports git stashes as well as its own built in shelve command. These seem to be almost identical in purpose and utility. What is the difference between them?


Solution

  • From the IntelliJ documentation:

    In the Git integration, in addition to shelving and unshelving, "stashing" and "unstashing" are supported respectively. These features have much in common, the only difference is in the way patches are generated and applied.

    • Patches with stashed changes are generated by Git itself. To apply them later, you do not need IntelliJ IDEA.
    • Patches with shelved changes are generated by IntelliJ IDEA. Normally, they are also applied through the IDE. Applying shelved changes outside IntelliJ IDEA is also possible but requires additional steps.