Jj Core

---
name: jj-core
description: "Manage version control with Jujutsu (jj) — no staging area, immediate changes, smart rebasing. Use when navigating history, squashing, or pushing to Git remotes."
token_cost: 220
related: [jj-hunk, conventional-commits, sem]
keywords: ["jujutsu", "jj", "rebase", "squash", "split", "push", "commit"]
requires_tools: [bash]
---

# Jujutsu

Git-compatible VCS with a different data model — no staging area, changes are immediate. Every file is tracked in the working copy as "changes" (like commits without parents).

> ⚠️ **Never use `git` for mutations in a jj repo** — it corrupts history. Allowed: `git log`, `git diff`, `git show`, `git blame`, `git grep`.

## Basic Workflow

Create a change, describe it, view history:

```bash
jj new                   # Start a new change (like working on a commit)
jj desc -m "feat: add login"  # Write the message
jj log                   # View history — this is your main view command
jj diff                  # See what changed in working copy
```

Edit an existing change:

```bash
jj edit <change-id>      # Switch to a specific change
# Make changes to files...
jj squash                # Move new edits into the parent change
```

## Time Travel & Navigation

Jump to any point in history:

```bash
jj edit @-               # Go to parent
jj next --edit           # Go to child
jj edit <change-id>      # Jump to specific change
jj new --before @        # Insert a new change before current
```

## Squash & Split Changes

Combine changes into one:

```bash
# Merge two changes together
jj squash -m "combined message"

# Split working copy into separate commits
jj split                 # Interactive — pick hunks to commit separately
```

Auto-move changes to relevant commits in a stack:

```bash
jj absorb                # Smart squashing across mutable revisions
```

## Rebasing & Merging

Rebase changes onto another:

```bash
jj rebase -s @- -d main  # Rebase current change onto main
jj rebase -d main -s ::@ # Rebase all descendants of @ onto main
```

Merge two changes:

```bash
jj new x yz -m "merge"   # Create merge of x and yz
```

## Conflicts

Resolve interactively:

```bash
# Edit conflicted files, then continue
jj resolve
```

## Pushing to Git

Bookmarks are like branches. Track and push them:

```bash
jj bookmark create main -r @   # Create a bookmark at current change
jj git push --bookmark main    # Push that bookmark
jj git fetch                   # Fetch from remote
jj bookmark track main@origin  # Track a remote bookmark
```

## Useful Patterns

**Undo an operation:** `jj undo` — reverses the last jj command.

**Get git commit hash from jj change:**

```bash
jj log -T 'commit_id\n' -r @           # Full hash
jj log -T 'commit_id.short()\n' -r @   # Short hash
git rev-parse @                        # Also works in colocated repos
```

**Operation history:** `jj op log` — see all jj operations.

## Template Syntax (`-T` / `--template`)

Templates use jj's own language — NOT JavaScript, NOT shell interpolation.

**String concatenation requires `concat()`:**

```bash
# ❌ WRONG — no implicit joining
jj log -r @ -T 'commit_id.short() description'
# ❌ WRONG — method chaining without concat
jj log -r @ -T 'change_id.short() " | " commit_id.short()'

# ✅ RIGHT — explicit concat
jj log -r @ -T 'concat(change_id.short(), " | ", description)'
```

**Common fields:** `change_id`, `commit_id`, `description`, `author`, `committer`, `signature`

**Field name is `description`, NOT `desc`:**

```bash
# ❌ WRONG — undefined field
jj log -r @ -T 'desc'
# ✅ RIGHT
jj log -r @ -T 'description'
```

**Double quotes for pipe alternation in bash:**

```bash
# ✅ RIGHT — double quotes around revision set with pipe
jj log -r "id1 | id2" -T 'concat(change_id.short(), "\n", description)'
# ❌ WRONG — single quotes don't expand variables and can nest incorrectly
jj log -r 'id1 | id2' -T 'description'
```

**After `jj desc`, the working copy (`@`) moves:**

```bash
# Always verify with the original change ID, not @
jj desc -r <change-id> -m "new description"
jj log --no-graph -r <change-id> -T 'concat(change_id.short(), " | ", description)'
```

## Common Pitfalls

- ❌ Use `@~1` → ✅ Use `@-` (parent)
- ❌ Use `a,b,c` for union → ✅ Use `a | b | c` (pipe, not comma)
- ❌ Use `jj changes` → ✅ Use `jj log` or `jj diff`
- ❌ Template: implicit string joining → ✅ Always use `concat(a, b)`
- ❌ Template: `desc` → ✅ Always use `description`
- ❌ Verify with `@` after `jj desc` → ✅ Always use original change ID