Re: Stashing untracked files

From: Neil Macneale <mac4-git@theory.org>
Date: Sep 30, 2007, 03:59 UTC
Message-ID: <46FF1F1E.2050000@theory.org>
In-Reply-To: <Pine.LNX.4.64.0709292259070.28395@racer.site>

Johannes Schindelin wrote:

Show 18 quoted lines

> Hi,
> 
> [please do not cull me from the Cc: list, especially if you quote me.]
> 
> On Sat, 29 Sep 2007, Neil Macneale wrote:
> 
>> Performing an add would require me to remove those file from the index 
>> at a later date in the event that I don't want to commit them on the 
>> next commit.
> 
> Wrong.
> 
> If you "git add <new-file>" and then "git stash", it will no longer have 
> the file in the index.  Instead, the index will agree with the HEAD (which 
> does not have <new-file>).
> 
> Ciao,
> Dscho

To be a little more clear, this is why I'd like to stash untracked files.

$ <hack hack>    # source tree is a mess
$ git stash -u   # stash everything, even untracked files. I never
                  # suggesting modifying the default behavior.
$ <fix bug>
$ git commit -a
$ git stash apply
$ hack some more
$ git add file1 file2  # I'm ready for some things to be committed,
                        # but my source tree is still a mess.
$ git commit

To do what you are suggesting would be something like this (correct me if I'm wrong):

$ <hack hack>
$ git add .      # Additional step, not a big deal.
$ git stash
$ <fix bug>
$ git commit -a
$ git stash apply
$ git reset HEAD <all file I don't actually need to add but was forced
                   to add in step above.>
                  # What concerns me is that I may not reset some files
                  # that need to be reset, or reset other ones which
                  # should not be reset. This is the headache I want to
                  # avoid.
$ <hack hack>
$ git add file1 file2
$ git commit

git stash is an acknowledgment that not everything needs to be 
committed, and sometimes working source trees are messy. Prior to the 
stash command, I just accepted that I'd need to commit everything and do 
  some maintenance to un-commit those changes. stash is awesome for me 
and the realities of the way I need to work. IMHO, it would be the best 
thing since sliced bread if it handled untracked files.

If this is really just a problem for me, I can write a shell script to do the dirty work. I just wonder if it is a common enough use case that it merits support in the tool itself.

Cheers, Neil