> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://lab.pollack.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Lesson 4: Git Operations

> Find lost git changes and merge them — agents working with version control

<Card title="Source Code" icon="github" href="https://github.com/markpollack/agent-client-tutorial/tree/main/03-git-operations">
  `agent-client-tutorial/03-git-operations`
</Card>

## What You'll Build

An agent that inspects git history, finds commits on a detached HEAD, and merges them into the main branch. This demonstrates agents working with version control — a common real-world task.

## Step 1: Set Up the Repository

Clone the tutorial and run the setup script that creates a git repo with "lost" changes:

```bash theme={null}
git clone https://github.com/markpollack/agent-client-tutorial.git
cd agent-client-tutorial/03-git-operations
bash setup.sh
```

The setup script creates a git repository in `workspace/` with a commit on a detached HEAD — simulating changes that were accidentally "lost" when switching back to master.

## Step 2: Understand the Goal

The prompt describes the problem in natural language, as a developer would:

```java theme={null}
String goal = """
    I just made some changes to my personal site and checked out master,
    but now I can't find those changes. Please help me find them and
    merge them into master.""";
```

The agent needs to:

1. Inspect the git reflog to find the detached commit
2. Identify the lost changes
3. Merge or cherry-pick them into master

## Step 3: Run It

```bash theme={null}
./mvnw spring-boot:run
```

The agent uses tools like `Bash` to run `git reflog`, `git log`, `git merge`, etc.

## Step 4: Verify

```bash theme={null}
cd workspace
git log --oneline -5
# Should show the recovered changes merged into master
```

## What's Different from Previous Lessons

* **Stateful environment** — the agent works in an existing git repository, not a clean directory
* **Multi-step reasoning** — finding lost commits requires inspecting reflog, understanding branch state, and choosing a merge strategy
* **Tool-heavy task** — the agent runs multiple shell commands, reads their output, and decides next steps
* **STRICT mode applicable** — this task genuinely requires a git repository, making it a natural fit for `AgentClientMode.STRICT`

## The LOOSE/STRICT Connection

Lessons 1-3 work in any directory — they don't need git. That's why LOOSE mode (the default) is appropriate. This lesson requires a git repository. If you were building a system that only runs git-aware tasks, STRICT mode would prevent accidental execution outside a git repo.

See [Defaults Philosophy](/docs/agent-client/explanation/defaults-philosophy) for more on when to use each mode.

## Next Steps

* [Getting Started](/docs/agent-client/howto/getting-started) — Recap the quick start for all three providers
* [Switching Providers](/docs/agent-client/howto/switching-providers) — Run any tutorial lesson with a different provider
* [Claude Reference](/docs/agent-client/reference/claude-reference) — Full configuration options including trace files