Re: [PATCH 2/2] git-add -a: add all files

From: Johannes Schindelin <johannes.schindelin@gmx.de>
Date: Jul 20, 2008, 10:56 UTC
Message-ID: <alpine.DEB.1.00.0807201250530.3305@eeepc-johanness>
In-Reply-To: <905315640807192120k45b8c0e3k5b341e77c466dde@mail.gmail.com>

Hi,

On Sat, 19 Jul 2008, Tarmigan wrote:

> It's too bad that 'commit -a' and 'add -a' will have different
> meanings.

Two things:

- add and commit are two _different_ operations, not only in name, but 
  also in nature.  The fact that "commit -a" calls "add" is a _pure_ 
  convenience.  It does not change the fact that "add" and "commit" are 
  completely, utterly different.

- if you are a heavy user of "commit -a", chances are that your history is 
  not really useful, because you committed unrelated changes accidentally 
  in the same commit.

The latter point, BTW, is the reason I _never_ teach the "-a" option (actually, I teach no option at all) in my first two Git lessons.

Ciao, Dscho

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