As a developer, you’ve likely used the git add . command at some point to stage changes for a commit. It’s a quick and easy way to add all changes in your working tree to the staging area. However, using git add . can lead to unintended consequences and even cause serious issues with your repository.

One of the biggest dangers of using git add . is that it stages all changes, including those you may not want to commit. For example, if you have a large file in your project that you don’t want to track, but you accidentally run git add . before committing, that file will be included in the commit. This can bloat your repository and slow down future operations like cloning or checking out the code.

Another issue with git add . is that it can lead to accidentally committing incomplete changes. If you add changes to the staging area with git add . and then run git commit, you may assume that all changes have been committed, but this is not necessarily the case. If you have changes that you didn’t intend to commit, they will still be present in your working tree.

So, what’s the solution? Instead of relying on git add ., it’s better to be intentional about what changes you’re staging. Use git add <file> or git add <directory> to stage specific files or directories, rather than adding everything at once. This gives you more control over what changes are included in each commit.

It’s also a good idea to get into the habit of running git status frequently to check the current state of your working tree. This helps you catch any unexpected changes that may have been staged accidentally.

In summary, git add . can be a tempting shortcut, but it’s important to use it with caution.

  • git add . stages all changes in the working tree, which can include unintended changes such as large files or incomplete changes.
  • Using git add . can bloat the repository and slow down future operations.
  • It’s better to be intentional about what changes you’re staging using git add <file> or git add <directory>.
  • Running git status frequently helps catch any unexpected changes that may have been staged accidentally.
  • Being intentional about what changes you stage and committing complete changes will help keep the repository clean and avoid unexpected issues.