untracked file deleted from the master branch, when checked out to it from a local branch

I was following some tutorial (http://gitref.org/branching/#merge) - and doing it in my console :

Arup-iMac:arup_git shreyas$ git status
# On branch master
nothing to commit, working directory clean
Arup-iMac:arup_git shreyas$ touch test.rb
Arup-iMac:arup_git shreyas$ ls
git_1.txttest.rb
Arup-iMac:arup_git shreyas$ cat test.rb
Arup-iMac:arup_git shreyas$ vi test.rb
Arup-iMac:arup_git shreyas$ cat test.rb
class Foo
  def self.bar
    12
  end
end

Foo.bar
***********HERE I switched to a NEW Branch****************
Arup-iMac:arup_git shreyas$ git checkout -b change_class
Switched to a new branch 'change_class'
Arup-iMac:arup_git shreyas$ ls
git_1.txttest.rb
Arup-iMac:arup_git shreyas$ vi test.rb
Arup-iMac:arup_git shreyas$ head -1 test.rb
class Fooo
Arup-iMac:arup_git shreyas$ head -2 test.rb
class Fooo
  def self.bar
Arup-iMac:arup_git shreyas$ git commit -am 'changed the class name'
# On branch change_class
# Untracked files:
#   (use "git add <file>..." to include in what will be committed)
#
#test.rb
nothing added to commit but untracked files present (use "git add" to track)
Arup-iMac:arup_git shreyas$ git add test.rb
Arup-iMac:arup_git shreyas$ git commit -am 'changed the class name'
[change_class 2d40033] changed the class name
 1 file changed, 7 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 test.rb
Arup-iMac:arup_git shreyas$ cat test.rb
class Fooo
  def self.bar
    12
  end
end

Fooo.bar Arup-iMac:arup_git shreyas$ git checkout master Switched to branch 'master' Arup-iMac:arup_git shreyas$ git mv test.rb ruby.rb fatal: bad source, source=test.rb, destination=ruby.rb Arup-iMac:arup_git shreyas$ git mv -h usage: git mv [options] <source>... <destination>

    -v, --verbose         be verbose
    -n, --dry-run         dry run
    -f, --force           force move/rename even if target exists
    -k                    skip move/rename errors
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
********FROM MASTER BRACH WHY THE FILE test.rb DELETED?***********
Arup-iMac:arup_git shreyas$ ls
git_1.txt
Arup-iMac:arup_git shreyas$ 

On 5/20/2014 10:38 AM, Arup Rakshit wrote:

...

Because you never committed the original file to the master branch before you created and switched to the change_class branch.

You're missing
     git add test.rb
     git commit -m "initial version of test.rb"
before you switch branches the first time.

On Tuesday, May 20, 2014 11:56:57 AM you wrote:

Hum, But when I create a new branch from master, then it came to the new branch, but deleted from the master. Shouldn't it also not come to the new local branch also. That's how I expected.

On 5/20/2014 11:03 AM, Arup Rakshit wrote:

It never "came to the new branch", as it was never version controlled, it was an untracked file left behind when you switched branches.

Once you added it to the new branch, change_class, it became a version controlled file, and since you moved to a branch without that file (the pristine clean master branch), git removed it. (your version history says that change_class contains test.rb and master does not.)

On Tuesday, May 20, 2014 12:06:49 PM you wrote:

This is still didn't get it. If an untracked file didn't come in the new branch, how would I able to add it to stage ? I am not getting this part. You are right, but I am not able to understand this one, my bad! :(

Arup Rakshit <aruprakshit@rocketmail.com> writes:

Untracked files and modifications to files in your working directory do not belong to your current branch. This is to allow you, after starting to work on one branch then realizing that the changes and additions you are making do not belong there, to switch to a more appropriate branch at that point without losing your work so far, taking these changes and additions with you to the branch you want to commit your changes to.

On Tuesday, May 20, 2014 11:24:11 AM you wrote:

Now, It makes sense. I gave it another try and this time I walk from back to front.

Now you can see, that I have created, a new file called *file.txt*, in the *master branch*. Now I went to a new branch and made some changes there in the newly created file. This time I didn't add it or commit too. I just came back to *master branch*. Now if I do *ls*, can see the file is present in the *master* branch.

arup@linux-wzza:~/Git_tutorial> ls test.txt arup@linux-wzza:~/Git_tutorial> echo "hello" > file.txt arup@linux-wzza:~/Git_tutorial> ls file.txt test.txt arup@linux-wzza:~/Git_tutorial> git status # On branch master # Untracked files: # (use "git add <file>..." to include in what will be committed) # # file.txt nothing added to commit but untracked files present (use "git add" to track) arup@linux-wzza:~/Git_tutorial> cat file.txt hello arup@linux-wzza:~/Git_tutorial> git checkout -b "file_branch" Switched to a new branch 'file_branch' arup@linux-wzza:~/Git_tutorial> cat file.txt hello arup@linux-wzza:~/Git_tutorial> echo "hello World" > file.txt arup@linux-wzza:~/Git_tutorial> cat file.txt hello World arup@linux-wzza:~/Git_tutorial> git status # On branch file_branch # Untracked files: # (use "git add <file>..." to include in what will be committed) # # file.txt nothing added to commit but untracked files present (use "git add" to track) arup@linux-wzza:~/Git_tutorial> git checkout master Switched to branch 'master' arup@linux-wzza:~/Git_tutorial> ls file.txt test.txt arup@linux-wzza:~/Git_tutorial> cat file.txt hello World arup@linux-wzza:~/Git_tutorial>

On 5/20/2014 12:40 PM, Arup Rakshit wrote:

NO, you didn't.

 > arup@linux-wzza:~/Git_tutorial> git status
 > # On branch master
 > # Untracked files:
 > #   (use "git add <file>..." to include in what will be committed)
 > #
 > #       file.txt

See that file.txt is listed under "Untracked files"? Git sees the file, but since you haven't added it with "git add", it's untracked and Git doesn't care about it.

It lists it with the status command, so you will see that it's not yet tracked.

Arup Rakshit <aruprakshit@rocketmail.com> writes:

[...]

And here is your basic misunderstanding. You've created file.txt indeed, but not in the *master branch* (or any branch). You've created it in the working directory. Only after you add/commit it, will it be "created" in the branch that is checked out at this time. Until then, git won't touch the file when you switch between branches.

-- Sergey.

On 5/20/2014 12:20 PM, Arup Rakshit wrote:

Ok, step by step:

You've created test.rd, that was never added to the git repo. (You never committed it to the master branch.)

 > ***********HERE I switched to a NEW Branch****************
 > Arup-iMac:arup_git shreyas$ git checkout -b change_class
 > Switched to a new branch 'change_class'
 > Arup-iMac:arup_git shreyas$ ls
 > git_1.txt test.rb

test.rd is untracked, so still there. Git doesn't touch untracked files.

 > Arup-iMac:arup_git shreyas$ vi test.rb
 > Arup-iMac:arup_git shreyas$ head -1 test.rb
 > class Fooo
 > Arup-iMac:arup_git shreyas$ head -2 test.rb
 > class Fooo
 >    def self.bar

You modified it

 > Arup-iMac:arup_git shreyas$ git commit -am 'changed the class name'
 > # On branch change_class
 > # Untracked files:
 > #   (use "git add <file>..." to include in what will be committed)
 > #
 > #test.rb
 > nothing added to commit but untracked files present (use "git add" to 
track)

You did nothing here..

 > Arup-iMac:arup_git shreyas$ git add test.rb
 > Arup-iMac:arup_git shreyas$ git commit -am 'changed the class name'
 > [change_class 2d40033] changed the class name
 >   1 file changed, 7 insertions(+)
 >   create mode 100644 test.rb

Your previously untracked file has now been checked in. It's no longer untracked, so now Git cares.

 > Arup-iMac:arup_git shreyas$ cat test.rb
 > class Fooo
 >    def self.bar
 >      12
 >    end
 > end
 >
 > Fooo.bar
 > Arup-iMac:arup_git shreyas$ git checkout master
 > Switched to branch 'master'

You switched back to master branch, which contains no test.rb (as it's clean and has never been committed to), so therefore Git removes the file, since the now tracked test.rb shouldn't be on the master branch.