From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date: Mon, 07 Dec 2009 07:34:03 GMT
Subject: Re: [PATCH 1/2] Documentation: 'git add -A' can remove files
Message-ID: <7vbpib9r10.fsf@alter.siamese.dyndns.org>
In-Reply-To: <20091207005732.GA20909@atjola.homenet>

Björn Steinbrink <B.Steinbrink@gmx.de> writes:

> What I usually say on #git is something like:
>
> 	"git add <path>" looks at the working tree to find files
> 	matching <path>.  "git add -u <path>" looks at the index, and
> 	"git add -A <path>" looks at both. Therefore "add" and "add -A"
> 	can add new files to the index, and "add -u" and "add -A" can
> 	remove files from it.
>
> 	And for convenience, -u and -A default to "." as the path argument.

Hmm, an interesting way of teaching. How effective is it with the real new
to mid-level users we see on the #git channel?

> So maybe something like this?
> ...
> -A, --all
>     Like -u, but matches <filepattern> against files in the index in
>     addition to the files in working tree. This means that it can find
>     new files as well.

Sounds easier to read to me but I think this description of "-A" seems
backwards from your explanation.  "Like -u" means "matches the index" and
the difference is it in addition matches with the work tree, so it should
probably be the other way around, i.e.

     Like -u, but matches <filepattern> against files in the work tree in
     addition to the index. This means that it can find new files as well.