What’s the difference between git stash pop and git stash apply ?

The difference between git stash pop and git stash apply lies in how they handle the stash after reapplying your changes:

Command	Action	Stash Deletion?	Use Case
git stash apply	Applies the stashed changes to your working directory.	❌ Keeps the stash in the stash list.	Use when you want to test or reuse the stash later.
git stash pop	Applies the stashed changes and deletes the stash (if successful).	✅ Removes the stash from the list.	Use when you’re done with the stash and want to clean up the stash list.

Key Details:

1. Default Behavior:

• Both commands apply the latest stash (stash@{0}) by default.
• Example:
  bash git stash apply # Applies but keeps stash git stash pop # Applies and deletes stash

1. Specifying a Stash:

• You can target a specific stash (e.g., stash@{2}):
  bash git stash apply stash@{2} # Keeps stash@{2} git stash pop stash@{2} # Deletes stash@{2} after applying

1. Conflict Handling:

• If conflicts occur during application:
  • apply: The stash remains in the list for troubleshooting.
  • pop: The stash is only deleted if the application succeeds (no conflicts).

Example Workflow:

1. Stash Changes:

   git stash save "Work in progress"

2. Reapply Stash:

• Keep the stash (for later reuse):
  bash git stash apply
• Apply and remove the stash (clean up):
  bash git stash pop

When to Use Which:

• Use apply if:
• You want to test the stashed changes before committing to them.
• You might need to reuse the same stash later.
• Use pop if:
• You’re confident the stashed changes are ready to be integrated.
• You want to avoid clutter in your stash list.