Navigate Your Stack

This tutorial covers navigating between commits in your stack.

Viewing Your Stack

First, understand where you are:

jj stack-view

Output shows your position (@) and all commits:

@  xyz user-api "Add user API endpoints"
○  abc user-model "Add user model"
○  def db-schema "Add user database schema"
○  trunk

The @ symbol shows your current position.

Jump to Top

Go to the newest commit in your stack:

jj stack-top

Use this after editing a mid-stack commit to return to where you were.

Jump to Bottom

Go to the oldest commit in your stack (just above trunk):

jj stack-bottom

Useful when you need to make foundational changes.

Edit Any Commit

Jump to a specific commit using its change ID:

# From jj stack-view, note the change ID (like "abc")
jj edit abc

Now your working copy is that commit. Any changes you make will modify it directly.

See All Your Stacks

If you have multiple features in progress:

jj stacks-all

This shows all your mutable commits across all stacks.

Checking Where You Are

Quick ways to see your current position:

# Full status
jj status

# Just the log showing current position
jj log-short

Navigation Example

Let’s say you need to fix something in the middle of your stack:

# View stack to find the commit
jj stack-view

# Output:
# @  xyz user-api "Add user API endpoints"
# ○  abc user-model "Add user model"
# ○  def db-schema "Add user database schema"
# ○  trunk

# Edit the user-model commit
jj edit abc

# Make your changes
vim src/models/user.js

# Changes are automatically in that commit!
# JJ rebases xyz (user-api) automatically

# Go back to top
jj stack-top

Understanding the Stack Model

In JJ, you’re always “inside” a commit. When you navigate:

• jj edit xyz - You’re now editing commit xyz
• Any file changes modify xyz directly
• Commits above xyz are automatically rebased

What Navigation Means

• In Git: Checking out branches, switching between working trees
• In JJ: Entering a commit to edit it directly

This is different from Git where you’d need to:

1. Checkout the branch
2. Make changes
3. Commit —amend
4. Rebase dependent branches

JJ does all of this automatically. See the Mental Model guide for deeper explanation.

Working with Multiple Stacks

To switch between different feature stacks:

# See all your work
jj stacks-all

# Edit a commit from a different stack
jj edit <change-id-from-other-stack>

# View just that stack
jj stack-view

Tips

Use Tab Completion

JJ supports tab completion for change IDs. Type a few characters and press Tab.

Short Change IDs

Change IDs are unique, so you only need enough characters to identify them:

jj edit xy    # Works if "xy" uniquely identifies a commit

Tip: Change IDs are visible in jj log output. The highlighted first few characters are usually enough to uniquely identify a commit.

Visual Stack View

For a detailed view with file changes:

jj stack-files

Next Steps

• Learn to Edit Mid-Stack Commits
• See how to Sync with Remote
• Check out Stack Workflow Reference