From: "Julia Evans via GitGitGadget" <gitgitgadget@gmail•com>
To: git@vger•kernel.org
Cc: "Chris Torek" <chris.torek@gmail•com>,
"D. Ben Knoble" <ben.knoble@gmail•com>,
"Jean-Noël AVILA" <jn.avila@free•fr>,
"Julia Evans" <julia@jvns•ca>, "Julia Evans" <julia@jvns•ca>
Subject: [PATCH v3 2/3] doc: git-add: clarify intro & add an example
Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2025 20:46:09 +0000 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <080720c059910c910161e250cd7eef54208c3fc6.1755636370.git.gitgitgadget@gmail.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <pull.1952.v3.git.1755636370.gitgitgadget@gmail.com>
From: Julia Evans <julia@jvns•ca>
- Add a basic example of how "git add" is normally used
- It's not technically true that you *must* use the `add` command to
add changes before running `git commit`, because `git commit -a`
exists. Instead say that you *can* use the `add` command.
- Mention early on that "index" is another word for "staging area",
since Git very rarely uses the word "index" in its output
(`git status`) uses the term "staged", and many Git users are
unfamiliar with the term "index"
- Remove "It typically adds" (it's not clear what "typically" means),
and instead mention that `git add -p` can be used to add
partial contents
- Currently the introduction is somewhat repetitive ("to prepare the
content staged for the next commit" ... "this snapshot that is taken
as the contents of the next commit."), replace with a single sentence
("The "index" [...] is where Git stores the contents of the next
commit.")
Signed-off-by: Julia Evans <julia@jvns•ca>
---
Documentation/git-add.adoc | 24 ++++++++++++------------
1 file changed, 12 insertions(+), 12 deletions(-)
diff --git a/Documentation/git-add.adoc b/Documentation/git-add.adoc
index b7a735824d6c..19f99b0e7f6f 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-add.adoc
+++ b/Documentation/git-add.adoc
@@ -16,18 +16,18 @@ git add [--verbose | -v] [--dry-run | -n] [--force | -f] [--interactive | -i] [-
DESCRIPTION
-----------
-This command updates the index using the current content found in
-the working tree, to prepare the content staged for the next commit.
-It typically adds the current content of existing paths as a whole,
-but with some options it can also be used to add content with
-only part of the changes made to the working tree files applied, or
-remove paths that do not exist in the working tree anymore.
-
-The "index" holds a snapshot of the content of the working tree, and it
-is this snapshot that is taken as the contents of the next commit. Thus
-after making any changes to the working tree, and before running
-the commit command, you must use the `add` command to add any new or
-modified files to the index.
+Add contents of new or changed files to the index. The "index" (also
+known as "staging area") is where Git stores the contents of the next
+commit.
+
+When you run `git commit` without any other arguments, it will only
+commit staged changes. For example, if you've edited `file.c` and want
+to commit your changes to that file, you can run:
+
+ git add file.c
+ git commit
+
+You can also add only part of your changes to a file with `git add -p`.
This command can be performed multiple times before a commit. It only
adds the content of the specified file(s) at the time the add command is
--
gitgitgadget
next prev parent reply other threads:[~2025-08-19 20:46 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 59+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2025-08-12 20:07 [PATCH 0/5] doc: git-add: clarify DESCRIPTION section Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
2025-08-12 20:07 ` [PATCH 1/5] doc: git-add: remove options from SYNOPSIS Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
2025-08-12 20:41 ` Junio C Hamano
2025-08-13 16:58 ` Julia Evans
2025-08-13 20:47 ` Jean-Noël AVILA
2025-08-12 20:07 ` [PATCH 2/5] doc: git-add: start man page with an example Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
2025-08-12 21:01 ` Junio C Hamano
2025-08-12 21:40 ` Julia Evans
2025-08-12 22:12 ` Junio C Hamano
2025-08-12 22:45 ` Julia Evans
2025-08-13 17:22 ` D. Ben Knoble
2025-08-14 0:41 ` Junio C Hamano
2025-08-14 2:59 ` Julia Evans
2025-08-15 5:38 ` Junio C Hamano
2025-08-12 20:07 ` [PATCH 3/5] doc: git-add: simplify discussion of ignored files Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
2025-08-13 17:24 ` D. Ben Knoble
2025-08-12 20:07 ` [PATCH 4/5] doc: git-add: make explanation less dry Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
2025-08-12 20:07 ` [PATCH 5/5] doc: git-add: explain inconsistent terminology Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
2025-08-12 20:51 ` Chris Torek
2025-08-12 21:36 ` Junio C Hamano
2025-08-12 21:43 ` Julia Evans
2025-08-13 23:20 ` [PATCH v2 0/4] doc: git-add: clarify DESCRIPTION section Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
2025-08-13 23:20 ` [PATCH v2 1/4] doc: git-add: start man page with an example Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
2025-08-15 0:38 ` Junio C Hamano
2025-08-15 13:34 ` Jean-Noël AVILA
2025-08-15 16:33 ` Junio C Hamano
2025-08-17 18:37 ` Jean-Noël AVILA
2025-08-19 20:01 ` Julia Evans
2025-08-13 23:20 ` [PATCH v2 2/4] doc: git-add: simplify discussion of ignored files Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
2025-08-14 0:59 ` D. Ben Knoble
2025-08-14 22:10 ` Junio C Hamano
2025-08-13 23:20 ` [PATCH v2 3/4] doc: git-add: make explanation less dry Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
2025-08-14 22:22 ` Junio C Hamano
2025-08-15 16:10 ` Julia Evans
2025-08-15 18:25 ` D. Ben Knoble
2025-08-15 20:01 ` Junio C Hamano
2025-08-16 14:15 ` D. Ben Knoble
2025-08-15 19:47 ` Junio C Hamano
2025-08-19 12:57 ` Julia Evans
2025-08-21 20:36 ` Jean-Noël AVILA
2025-08-13 23:20 ` [PATCH v2 4/4] doc: git-add: explain inconsistent terminology Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
2025-08-14 22:49 ` Junio C Hamano
2025-08-19 20:09 ` Julia Evans
2025-08-19 20:46 ` [PATCH v3 0/3] doc: git-add: clarify DESCRIPTION section Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
2025-08-19 20:46 ` [PATCH v3 1/3] Git 2.51 Junio C Hamano via GitGitGadget
2025-08-19 21:06 ` rsbecker
2025-08-19 21:37 ` Junio C Hamano
2025-08-19 21:44 ` D. Ben Knoble
2025-08-19 21:48 ` Julia Evans
2025-08-19 21:49 ` rsbecker
2025-08-19 20:46 ` Julia Evans via GitGitGadget [this message]
2025-08-21 20:08 ` [PATCH v3 2/3] doc: git-add: clarify intro & add an example Junio C Hamano
2025-08-22 20:37 ` Julia Evans
2025-08-19 20:46 ` [PATCH v3 3/3] doc: git-add: simplify discussion of ignored files Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
2025-08-21 20:09 ` Junio C Hamano
2025-08-29 11:55 ` [PATCH v4 0/2] doc: git-add: clarify DESCRIPTION section Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
2025-08-29 11:55 ` [PATCH v4 1/2] doc: git-add: clarify intro & add an example Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
2025-08-29 11:55 ` [PATCH v4 2/2] doc: git-add: simplify discussion of ignored files Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
2025-08-29 17:11 ` [PATCH v4 0/2] doc: git-add: clarify DESCRIPTION section Junio C Hamano
Reply instructions:
You may reply publicly to this message via plain-text email
using any one of the following methods:
* Save the following mbox file, import it into your mail client,
and reply-to-all from there: mbox
Avoid top-posting and favor interleaved quoting:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posting_style#Interleaved_style
* Reply using the --to, --cc, and --in-reply-to
switches of git-send-email(1):
git send-email \
--in-reply-to=080720c059910c910161e250cd7eef54208c3fc6.1755636370.git.gitgitgadget@gmail.com \
--to=gitgitgadget@gmail$(echo .)com \
--cc=ben.knoble@gmail$(echo .)com \
--cc=chris.torek@gmail$(echo .)com \
--cc=git@vger$(echo .)kernel.org \
--cc=jn.avila@free$(echo .)fr \
--cc=julia@jvns$(echo .)ca \
/path/to/YOUR_REPLY
https://kernel.org/pub/software/scm/git/docs/git-send-email.html
Be sure your reply has a Subject: header at the top and a blank line
before the message body.
This is a public inbox, see mirroring instructions
for how to clone and mirror all data and code used for this inbox