Difference between “git add -A” and “git add”

When working with Git, the git add command is used to move changes from your working directory to the staging area. However, there are different options and flags that can be used with git add, such as -A, which might lead to some confusion. In this article, we'll explore the differences between git add -A and git add.

1. Git add- Command

The git add command is used to add changes in the working directory to the staging area. This is the first step in the typical Git workflow to prepare changes for a commit.

When you run git add., Git stages all changes (new, modified, and deleted files) in the current directory and its subdirectories. However, it does not stage changes to files that have been deleted outside the current directory scope.

Syntax:

git add file_name_with_extension

 Example:

git add readme.md

2. Git Add -a  Command

The -a option with git add stages all changes in the working directory, including new files, modified files, and deleted files, regardless of their location. It is a comprehensive way to ensure all changes are staged.

So, "git add -A" is a handy shortcut to both of those.

git add -A

or

git add -all

or

git add .
git add -u

Example

In short, we can say that "git add” is used to stage a specific file while “git add -A” stages all the modified files at once.

Step-1: In the following screenshot, changes are made in the five files.

Step-2: Now, to add a single file into the staging area, we use “git add file_name with the extension” as shown below.

Step-3: To add multiple files into the staging area at once, we use “git add -A” as shown below.

Difference Between git add and git add -a