What is Git status command?

What is the Git status command?

The git status command is a fundamental Git command that allows you to view the current state of your Git repository. It provides information about the files in your working directory and the staging area, helping you understand what changes have been made and what actions you can take next.

When you run the git status command, it will display the following information:

Working Directory Status: This section shows the files that have been modified, added, or deleted in your working directory but have not yet been staged for the next commit.
Staged Changes: This section shows the files that have been added to the staging area and are ready to be committed.
Untracked Files: This section lists the files in your working directory that Git has not started tracking yet.

Here's an example of what the output of the git status command might look like:

$ git status
On branch main
Your branch is up to date with 'origin/main'.

Changes to be committed:
  (use "git restore --staged <file>..." to unstage)
        modified:   README.md
        new file:   index.html

Untracked files:
  (use "git add <file>..." to include in what will be committed)
        example.txt

In this example, the output shows that the README.md file has been modified and the index.html file is a new file that has been added to the staging area. The example.txt file is an untracked file that has not been added to the Git repository yet.

The git status command is a valuable tool for understanding the current state of your Git repository and planning your next steps, such as staging changes, committing them, or adding new files to the repository.

Here's a Mermaid diagram that illustrates the different states of files in a Git repository and how the git status command can help you understand them:

graph TD A[Working Directory] --> B[Staging Area] B --> C[Local Repository] C --> D[Remote Repository] A --> E[Untracked Files] B --> F[Staged Changes] A --> G[Modified Files] git_status --> A git_status --> B git_status --> E

The git status command is a crucial tool for Git users, as it provides a clear overview of the current state of your repository and helps you make informed decisions about your next steps in the development process.