Tracking Changes

This is the heart of Git — the daily workflow you'll use constantly. It boils down to three commands: git status, git add, and git commit.

The Three Areas

Git has three areas where your files can live:

Working Directory  →  Staging Area  →  Repository
   (your files)       (ready to save)   (saved history)

Think of it like packing a box to ship:

1. Working Directory: Your desk with all your stuff
2. Staging Area: The box you're packing (choosing what to include)
3. Repository: The shipped package (saved permanently)

Step 1: Check What Changed — git status

Always start by seeing where things stand:

git status

Git will show files in three categories:

• Untracked files (red) — New files Git hasn't seen before
• Changes not staged (red) — Modified files not yet added to the staging area
• Changes to be committed (green) — Files ready to be saved in the next commit

Step 2: Stage Your Changes — git add

Move files from your working directory to the staging area:

# Add a specific file
git add README.md

# Add multiple specific files
git add README.md app.js

# Add all changed files
git add .

After staging, run git status again to confirm:

Changes to be committed:
  (use "git rm --cached <file>..." to unstage)
	new file:   README.md
	new file:   app.js

The files are now green — they're staged and ready to be committed.

Why a Staging Area?

The staging area lets you choose what goes into each commit. You might have changed 5 files but only want to save 3 of them right now. The staging area gives you that control.

What to ask your AI: "I changed several files but only want to commit some of them. Can you help me stage just the files related to [feature]?"

Step 3: Save a Snapshot — git commit

Create a commit (save a snapshot) with a message describing what you did:

git commit -m "Add README and app.js with initial setup"

Output:

[main (root-commit) a1b2c3d] Add README and app.js with initial setup
 2 files changed, 3 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 README.md
 create mode 100644 app.js

Writing Good Commit Messages

Your commit message should answer: "What does this change do?"

Tips:

• Start with a verb: Add, Fix, Update, Remove, Refactor
• Keep it short (under 72 characters)
• Be specific about what changed

What to ask your AI: "I made these changes: [describe changes]. Can you suggest a good commit message?"

The Full Workflow

Here's the workflow you'll repeat every time:

# 1. Make changes to your files (edit code, create files, etc.)

# 2. See what changed
git status

# 3. Stage the changes you want to save
git add .

# 4. Commit with a message
git commit -m "Describe what you did"

Seeing What Changed — git diff

Before committing, you might want to see the exact changes in your files:

# See changes in your working directory (not yet staged)
git diff

# See changes that are staged (ready to commit)
git diff --staged

This shows you line-by-line what was added (+ in green) and removed (- in red).

What to ask your AI: "I ran git diff and see these changes: [paste output]. Can you review them and tell me if anything looks wrong?"

Viewing Your History — git log

After making commits, you can see your project's history:

# Full log
git log

# Compact one-line format
git log --oneline

Example output:

a1b2c3d Add search functionality
f4e5d6c Fix header alignment on mobile
b7a8c9d Initial project setup

Each line shows a commit hash (the ID) and the commit message. This is your project's timeline.

Undoing Mistakes

Made a mistake? Here's how to fix it:

Unstage a file (remove from staging area):

git restore --staged filename.txt

Discard changes to a file (go back to last commit):

git restore filename.txt

Warning: git restore filename.txt permanently discards your uncommitted changes to that file.

What to ask your AI: "I accidentally committed the wrong files. How do I undo my last commit without losing my changes?"

Putting It All Together

Here's a realistic example of a coding session:

# Start working — check where you are
git status

# Edit some files...
# Then check what you changed
git status

# Review the actual changes
git diff

# Stage everything
git add .

# Commit
git commit -m "Add contact form with email validation"

# Verify the commit was saved
git log --oneline

What's Next?

You now know the core Git workflow! The next tutorial introduces branches — Git's powerful feature for working on multiple things at once without breaking your main code.

---

🌐 www.genai-mentor.ai