# Can not 'git add file'

2 messages from 2016-01-03 to 2016-01-03. Participants: KES, Dennis Kaarsemaker.
Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/41111

## KES, 2016-01-03 14:53

Subject: Can not 'git add file'
Message-ID: <1500251451832791@web17m.yandex.ru>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/1500251451832791%40web17m.yandex.ru

```
Hi.

How to reproduce

$ git-number
On branch master
Changes not staged for commit:
  (use "git add <file>..." to update what will be committed)
  (use "git checkout -- <file>..." to discard changes in working directory)

1	modified:   ../lib/Devel/DebugHooks.pm
2	modified:   ../lib/Devel/KillPrint.pm
3	modified:   00-simple.t

Untracked files:
  (use "git add <file>..." to include in what will be committed)

4	../lib/Devel/DebugHooks/
5	../lib/Devel/ImportArgs.pm
6	../lib/Devel/KillPrintTest.pm
7	../lib/Devel/KillPrint_scope.pm
8	../lib/Devel/PkgAtCompileTime.pm
9	../lib/Devel/t.pl
10	lib/Devel/AutoInit.pm
11	lib/Devel/DZVii.pm

no changes added to commit (use "git add" and/or "git commit -a")
$ git add -p ../lib/Devel/DebugHooks/Commands.pm 
No changes.

I want to start track file here, but I do not want to stage while file.

It seems the git can not process this case and do not allow me to complete that.

```

## Dennis Kaarsemaker, 2016-01-03 16:20

Subject: Re: Can not 'git add file'
Message-ID: <1451838002.3109.2.camel@kaarsemaker.net>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/1451838002.3109.2.camel%40kaarsemaker.net
In-Reply-To: <1500251451832791@web17m.yandex.ru>

```
On zo, 2016-01-03 at 16:53 +0200, KES wrote:
> Untracked files:
>   (use "git add <file>..." to include in what will be committed)
> 
> 4       ../lib/Devel/DebugHooks/
> 
> $ git add -p ../lib/Devel/DebugHooks/Commands.pm
> No changes.
> 
> I want to start track file here, but I do not want to stage while
> file.
> 
> It seems the git can not process this case and do not allow me to
> complete that.

Correct, add -p for a new file is not supported, as it doesn't really
make sense. There's no patch, it's a whole new file.

What you can do instead is first 

git add -N ../lib/Devel/DebugHooks/Commands.pm

to mark the file as tracked without adding content. Then git add -p
will allow you to add the contents partially.-- 
Dennis Kaarsemaker
www.kaarsemaker.net

```