Git 2.56 Release Candidate Introduces New Commands and Usability Improvements

Git 2.56 Release Overview

The Git source-code management system is preparing for its 2.56 release, with a release candidate currently available. This version, anticipated around the end of September, incorporates over 700 non-merge commits, focusing on various enhancements and bug fixes rather than fundamental changes to the user experience.

New Features and Commands

A notable addition in Git 2.56 is the `drop` subcommand within the experimental `git history` toolbox. This command allows users to remove a specified commit from the current branch's history, replaying subsequent commits. However, its functionality is limited as it does not work with histories containing merge commits.

The `git status` command now suggests a `git pull` command when a branch is behind its tracked counterpart. Additionally, the `git refs` command gains new subcommands—`create`, `delete`, `update`, and `rename`—to manipulate references at a low level.

Usability Tweaks and Improvements

Git 2.56 includes several minor usability enhancements. The `git branch` command now has a `--delete-merged` option to remove local branches that have been merged into their remote tracking branches. Attempts to delete a branch used for bisection will fail with a helpful message. Configuration file locking retries have been implemented to prevent issues when multiple commands modify the file simultaneously. The `git add` command also introduces a `--resolved` option to add only files with resolved merge conflicts.

Future Outlook: Git 3.0

While Git 2.56 is a solid release with incremental improvements, it suggests that more significant changes are being reserved for a future version. The community anticipates that the subsequent release, potentially Git 3.0, may introduce more substantial updates and potentially incompatible changes that could redefine the Git experience.