Staging Changes (git add)

In Git, staging changes is a crucial step in the workflow. It allows you to selectively choose which modifications in your working directory you want to include in your next commit. The git add command is the primary tool for achieving this.

Understanding the Staging Area

Think of the staging area (also called the index) as an intermediary holding area between your working directory (where you make your changes) and the Git repository's history. It's a place where you prepare your changes before permanently saving them with a commit.

Using git add

The git add command moves changes from your working directory to the staging area. Here's how it works:

• Adding a specific file: git add <filename> For example: git add my_file.txt
• Adding all modified and new files in the current directory and its subdirectories: git add .
• Adding all modified and new files in the entire repository: git add -A (or git add --all)
• Adding only modified files (not new files): git add -u (or git add --update)

Example:

1. You modify index.html.
2. You create a new file called style.css.
3. You run git add index.html. Now, only the changes to index.html are staged. style.css is still untracked.
4. You run git add style.css. Now, style.css is also staged.
5. You run git commit -m "Added styling and updated index page". The changes to both index.html and style.css are now saved in the repository's history.

Learn how to use git add to move changes from your working directory to the staging area, preparing them for a commit.

This is exactly what the previous sections explained. By using git add with the appropriate options, you can carefully select which changes you want to include in your next commit. This allows you to create focused commits that represent logical units of work. Remember to always use git status to check what changes are staged and what changes are still in your working directory before you commit.