Subject: [PATCH v4 1/2] doc: git-add: clarify intro & add an example

From: "Julia Evans via GitGitGadget" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2025 11:55:01 +0000

From: Julia Evans <[email-masked]>

- 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 <[email-masked]>
---
 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 b7a735824d..ffe8fd701a 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 the "staging area") is what you use to prepare 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