CHAPTER 4: Checking File Status
The git status command shows which changes have been staged, which haven’t, and which files aren't being tracked by Git.
Remember, Git operates only on tracked files. To track a file, run:
git add <filename>
For a concise view, try:
git status -s
Status Codes:
- ?? → Untracked file
- A → File added to staging
- M → Modified file
- D → Deleted file
- R → Renamed file
- U → Unmerged conflict
- MM → Staged + modified again
📈 Git Status Flow
graph TD;
Start["🎯 Start Git Tracking Process"] --> Create["📄 Create or Modify Files"];
Create --> CheckStatus["🔍 Run a Git Status Command"];
CheckStatus --> VerboseStatus["🧪 git status"];
CheckStatus --> ShortStatus["⚡ git status -s"];
VerboseStatus --> VerboseOutput["📜 Verbose Output
• Tracked/Untracked
• Staged/Unstaged
• Helpful messages"]; ShortStatus --> ShortOutput["🔢 Short Output
• ?? = Untracked
• M = Modified
• A = Added"]; VerboseOutput --> VerboseUse["🧠 Great for Beginners"]; ShortOutput --> ShortUse["🚀 Script-friendly & Compact"]; VerboseUse --> Example1["📋 Sample:
modified: index.html
Untracked files:
style.css"]; ShortUse --> Example2["📋 Sample:
M index.html
?? style.css"]; classDef node fill:#222,stroke:#00ffcc,color:#ffffff; classDef emphasis fill:#112211,stroke:#00cc88,color:#ccffcc; class Start,Create,CheckStatus node; class VerboseStatus,ShortStatus,VerboseOutput,ShortOutput node; class VerboseUse,ShortUse emphasis; class Example1,Example2 node;
• Tracked/Untracked
• Staged/Unstaged
• Helpful messages"]; ShortStatus --> ShortOutput["🔢 Short Output
• ?? = Untracked
• M = Modified
• A = Added"]; VerboseOutput --> VerboseUse["🧠 Great for Beginners"]; ShortOutput --> ShortUse["🚀 Script-friendly & Compact"]; VerboseUse --> Example1["📋 Sample:
modified: index.html
Untracked files:
style.css"]; ShortUse --> Example2["📋 Sample:
M index.html
?? style.css"]; classDef node fill:#222,stroke:#00ffcc,color:#ffffff; classDef emphasis fill:#112211,stroke:#00cc88,color:#ccffcc; class Start,Create,CheckStatus node; class VerboseStatus,ShortStatus,VerboseOutput,ShortOutput node; class VerboseUse,ShortUse emphasis; class Example1,Example2 node;
🔍 Quiz: What Does '??' Mean?
Question: In git status -s, what does ?? indicate?
💻 Terminal Simulator
Type a command below and press Enter. (Try commands like git status or git status -s.)
user@repo:~$