The Git Index
The index is the data structure used as Git's staging area. It records the content that will form the next tree when a commit is created. Commands such as git add update the index.
Understanding the index explains why staging and committing are separate operations.
Inspect the Index
git add src/app.js
git ls-files --stage
git diff
git diff --cached💡
git ls-files --stage exposes entries in the index. git diff compares the working tree with the index, while git diff --cached compares the index with HEAD.Key Takeaways
- The index is Git's staging area.
git addupdates the index.- The next commit is constructed from the staged index state.
Knowledge Check
What does `git add` primarily update?