Check the repository status

git status is the command that keeps you oriented.

Run it before and after an operation:

git status

Git compares three states: HEAD, the staging area, and the working tree.

It reports changes in useful groups:

• Changes to be committed are in the staging area.
• Changes not staged for commit exist only in the working tree.
• Untracked files are in the working tree but not in HEAD or the index.

Status also shows the current branch. When a branch tracks a remote branch, it can show whether your local reference is ahead or behind the last fetched remote-tracking reference.

Notice that git status does not show every changed line. Use git diff for that.

My advice is to run git status often. It is the safest way to stay oriented.

You can use the shorter format once you understand the full one:

git status --short

Exercise: create one untracked file, modify one tracked file, and stage a third file. Run both status formats and identify where each change currently lives.