Basics: from file to commit · Lesson 2 of 15

From working tree to commit

Understand the three areas and use status, add and commit confidently.

11 minutes2 games

Git separates work into three areas. The working tree holds files you edit. The staging area is the exact proposal for the next commit. The repository stores snapshots. You can edit five files but create a focused commit from only two.

Working tree

git add

Staging area

git commit

Repository

Git

git init -q -b main
echo "v1" > app.txt
git status -s
git add app.txt
git status -s
git commit -q -m "Add app file"
git log --format=%s

In status -s, the first column describes staging and the second the working tree. ?? is untracked, A is staged, and M is modified but unstaged. A commit is a snapshot, not a file-save operation.

What's the output?

git init -q -b main
echo "one" > a.txt
git add a.txt
git commit -q -m "First"
echo "two" >> a.txt
git status -s

What will this code print?

Exercise

Create note.txt containing learn, add it, make a quiet commit named Add note, and print its subject.

Expected output: Add note

Git

git init -q -b main
echo "learn" > note.txt
git log --format=%s

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