Staging Changes

The git add command adds changes to the staging area, preparing them for a commit.

The Staging Area

The staging area (also called the "index") is where you prepare changes before committing. This lets you:

• Select specific changes to include in a commit
• Review what will be committed
• Build commits piece by piece

Adding Files

Common Add Commands

Add a Specific File

git add filename.txt

Add All Files

git add .
# or
git add -A

Add by Pattern

git add *.js
git add src/

Add Options

Command	Description
git add <file>	Add specific file
git add .	Add all in current directory
git add -A	Add all changes everywhere
git add -p	Add interactively (patch mode)
git add -u	Add modified/deleted, not new

Interactive Adding

The -p (patch) flag lets you stage parts of a file:

git add -p filename.txt

Options at each hunk:

• y - stage this hunk
• n - skip this hunk
• s - split into smaller hunks
• q - quit

Unstaging Files

Remove files from staging:

git reset HEAD filename.txt
# or
git restore --staged filename.txt

Best Practices

1. Review before adding: Use git diff first
2. Add related changes together: One feature per commit
3. Don't add generated files: Use .gitignore

Exercise: Stage All Changes

Add all files to the staging area using git add .: