无法更改分支 - package-lock.json 被跟踪？

Question

I am working on a PHP / JavaScript web app. I am trying to change branch but I get the following error:

error: Your local changes to the following files would be overwritten by checkout:
package-lock.json

I could revert the changes in this file but I don't want to break the application! Would appreciate any advice offered...

Answer 1

There are a couple different options. If you don't want to keep your package-lock.json changes and just want to switch to the other branch because you know its working, you can do one of the following:

git checkout -f branchname

Which does a force checkout into your branch, or the more verbose

git reset --hard
git checkout branchname

The top command will reset your current branch to the state of the current commit, discarding your changes. Then you can check out to the branch you want as normal.

If you want to keep your changes because you think you might need them in the future- you can stash them away and bring them back up when needed

git stash 

git checkout branchname

..  (do whatever you want with the branch you switched to)

git pop

Stash isn't specific to any branches- so if you need it in the branch you switched to you can pop it off. Or, if you need it in your current branch, you can checkout- do what you need to- then come back and pop it off and continue in basically the same state you're currently in