How to Check If a File Is Untracked in Git

Introduction

In this lab, you will learn how to identify untracked files in your Git repository. You will explore two primary methods: using the git status command to view the overall repository state, including untracked files, and utilizing the git ls-files --others command for a more focused listing of only untracked files. By the end of this lab, you will understand how Git distinguishes between tracked and untracked files and how to use these commands to manage your project's files effectively.

Skills Graph

Run git status to List Untracked

In this step, we will use the git status command to see how Git tracks files and identifies those it doesn't know about yet.

First, make sure you are in your my-time-machine directory. If you are not, use the cd command:

cd ~/project/my-time-machine

Now, let's create a new file in this directory. We'll call it notes.txt:

echo "Ideas for future projects" > notes.txt

This command creates a file named notes.txt and puts the text "Ideas for future projects" inside it.

Now, let's ask Git about the status of our repository:

git status

You should see output similar to this:

On branch master
Changes to be committed:
  (use "git rm --cached <file>..." to unstage)
        new file:   message.txt

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

Notice the "Untracked files:" section. Git sees that a new file, notes.txt, exists in the directory, but it's not part of the repository's history yet. Git doesn't automatically track every file you create. This gives you control over which files are included in your version control.

Why is this important? Imagine you have temporary files, build outputs, or personal notes in your project directory. You wouldn't want these cluttering your project's history. Git's "untracked" status allows you to keep these files separate from the files you are actively managing with version control.

In the next step, we'll explore another way to list these untracked files.

Use git ls-files --others

In the previous step, we saw that git status shows us untracked files. Git also provides a more direct command specifically for listing files in the index and the working tree. We can use the git ls-files command with the --others option to list only the untracked files.

Make sure you are still in the ~/project/my-time-machine directory:

cd ~/project/my-time-machine

Now, run the following command:

git ls-files --others

You should see the following output:

notes.txt

This command specifically lists files that are present in your working directory but are not tracked by Git. This is a useful command when you want a clean list of only the files that Git is currently ignoring or doesn't know about yet.

Comparing git status and git ls-files --others:

• git status gives you a comprehensive overview of the state of your repository, including tracked files with changes, staged changes, and untracked files.
• git ls-files --others is more focused and only lists the untracked files.

Both commands are useful in different situations. git status is great for a general overview, while git ls-files --others is handy when you specifically want to identify untracked files, perhaps to decide whether to add them to the repository or ignore them.

In the next step, we will further explore the difference between tracked and untracked files by adding another file and observing how Git reacts.

Test Tracked vs Untracked

In this step, we will solidify our understanding of tracked versus untracked files by adding notes.txt to Git's tracking and observing the change in status.

First, ensure you are in the ~/project/my-time-machine directory:

cd ~/project/my-time-machine

Now, let's tell Git to start tracking the notes.txt file using the git add command:

git add notes.txt

This command adds notes.txt to the staging area, preparing it to be included in the next commit.

Now, let's check the status of our repository again:

git status

You should see output similar to this:

On branch master
Changes to be committed:
  (use "git rm --cached <file>..." to unstage)
        new file:   message.txt
        new file:   notes.txt

Notice that notes.txt is no longer listed under "Untracked files:". Instead, it appears under "Changes to be committed:", marked as a "new file". This means Git is now tracking notes.txt, and it's ready to be included in your next save point (commit).

This demonstrates the key difference:

• Untracked files: Files that are in your working directory but have not been added to the staging area with git add. Git knows they exist but isn't managing their versions.
• Tracked files: Files that Git is actively managing. Once a file is added and committed, Git tracks its changes over time.

By using git add, you explicitly tell Git which files you want to include in your version-controlled project. This control is essential for managing your project effectively and keeping your history clean.

In the next lab, we will continue building on these fundamental concepts to make more commits and explore the power of Git's history.

Summary

In this lab, we learned how to identify untracked files in a Git repository. We first used the git status command, which provides a comprehensive overview of the repository's state, including a dedicated section for untracked files. This demonstrated how Git distinguishes between files it is actively tracking and new files it is unaware of.

We then explored the git ls-files --others command as an alternative method specifically designed to list only the untracked files in the working directory. This command offers a more focused way to see which files are not currently under Git's version control. Understanding how to identify untracked files is crucial for managing which files are included in your project's history and keeping your repository clean.