git-stage - Linux

Overview

git-stage is a versatile Git command that allows you to prepare changes for committing. It adds or modifies files within the staging area, marking them as ready to be included in the next commit.

Syntax

git stage [-a|--all] [-u|--update] [-f|--force] [--] [<pathspec>...]

Options/Flags

  • -a, –all: Stage all tracked files that have been modified or deleted since the last commit.
  • -u, –update: Update the staging area with all tracked files that have been modified since the last commit.
  • -f, –force: Stage files even if they are untracked, assuming they are new files that should be added.
  • -q, –quiet: Suppress all output messages.
  • –dry-run: Shows what would be staged without actually staging anything.
  • –patch: Open a text editor to select portions of a file to stage.
  • –] (double hyphen): Marks the end of options, allowing you to specify paths that start with a hyphen.

Examples

Simple Example:

git stage README.md

Stages the README.md file.

Stage All Tracked Files:

git stage -a

Stages all files that have been modified since the last commit.

Stage Forcefully:

git stage -f untracked_file.txt

Stages the untracked file untracked_file.txt.

Partial Staging Using Patch:

git stage --patch script.py

Opens a text editor to interactively select which changes to stage.

Common Issues

  • Incorrect Path: Ensure the path specified is correct, as mistakenly staging the wrong file can lead to unintended changes in the next commit.
  • Overwriting Staged Changes: If a file is already staged and you stage it again without using --force, the original staged changes will be overwritten.
  • Untracked Files: By default, git-stage only stages tracked files. To stage untracked files, use --force.

Integration

git-stage can be integrated with other commands to streamline workflows:

  • Commit Staged Changes: git commit -a: Commits all staged changes.
  • Check Staged Changes: git diff --staged: Displays differences between the staged files and their last committed version.
  • Compare Working Tree to Staging Area: git diff --cached: Compares the working tree to the currently staged files.

Related Commands

  • git add: Alias for git-stage that adds new files or modifications to the staging area.
  • git status: Shows the status of tracked and untracked files, and the current staging area.
  • git commit: Creates a new commit object and stores the staged changes in it.
  • git unstage: Removes files from the staging area.