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Re: A Basic Git Question About File Tracking

From
Jon Forrest <nobozo@gmail.com>
Date
Oct 9, 2011, 00:08 UTC
Message-ID
<4E90E60C.7060105@gmail.com>
In-Reply-To
<20111004012244.GB13836@elie>
On 10/3/2011 6:22 PM, Jonathan Nieder wrote:

[I'm just getting back to this question. I had accidentally sent this follow up directly to Jonathan but I want to continue this on the email list.]

> Yes, "x" is tracked.  Moreover, "x" is in the index.  You can
> list files in the index with the "git ls-files -s" command.

This spoils my understanding of what the index is. I had been thinking that after you add files to the index, and then commit, the index is then empty. In other words, whatever's in the index gets committed, and then the index is cleaned.

On the other hand, if the definition of a tracked file is a file that's in the index, then this definitely clears up my understanding of tracked files.

If every file that's 'git add'ed stays in the index, how does git know which files to commit?

I can't prove it but I suspect that many git beginners also are confused by this.

Thanks for your replies.
Jon Forrest
Previous: Jonathan NiederNext: Jakub Narebski
Message 5 of 9 in “A Basic Git Question About File Tracking”
  1. Jon ForrestOct 4, 2011
  2. Jonathan NiederOct 4, 2011
  3. Jon ForrestOct 4, 2011
  4. Jonathan NiederOct 4, 2011
  5. Jon ForrestOct 9, 2011
  6. Jakub NarebskiOct 9, 2011
  7. Jon ForrestOct 9, 2011
  8. Jakub NarebskiOct 9, 2011
  9. Scott ChaconOct 9, 2011

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