Staging Files with Git Patterns

Staging Files with Git Patterns | Generated by AI

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Staging Files with Patterns in Git

Git’s git add command accepts file paths and glob patterns (like *.java) to stage matching files. You can run multiple git add commands to stage different sets of files, then commit them separately. This allows selective staging for grouped commits (e.g., one for Java files, another for the rest).

Basic Example: Stage and Commit Java Files First

Stage all .java files:
```
git add "*.java"
```
- This stages all untracked or modified files ending in .java in the current directory and subdirectories.
- Use double quotes (") to prevent shell expansion issues on many systems (e.g., Bash).
Commit the staged Java files:
```
git commit -m "Add Java files"
```
- This commits only the staged files (Java ones).
Stage everything else:
```
git add .
```
- This stages all remaining untracked/modified files (including the current directory’s contents).
Commit the remaining files:
```
git commit -m "Add other files"
```

Notes:
- After the first commit, git add . won’t re-stage already-committed files; it only affects unstaged changes.
- Check git status after each add to verify what’s staged.
- If you have nested directories, *.java catches files at any depth.

Handling Exclusions or More Patterns

If you meant something like including *.java but excluding others in a single step, Git’s git add doesn’t support direct negation like "!*.java". (Your example syntax "!*.java" isn’t valid in Git commands.) Instead, use multiple git add calls as above, or:

Use specific paths: git add file1.txt file2.md for manual selection.
For advanced exclusion: Temporarily use a .gitignore to hide files, add what you want, then restore .gitignore. Or use git add -A (adds everything) but pair it with selective staging.
Interactive add: git add -p for hunk-by-hunk staging.
To preview changes: git add --dry-run "*.java" shows what would be staged without doing it.

Tips for Separate Commits

Always review with git diff --cached before committing.
For larger repos, consider git add --all or git add -A to stage all changes at once, then selectively unstage if needed with git reset HEAD <file>.
If patterns don’t work, ensure quotes are used and your shell supports globs (e.g., in Windows, use Git Bash). For case-insensitivity, Git respects your system’s setting (see core.ignorecase).

If this doesn’t match your intent (e.g., if you meant excluding patterns like in .gitignore), provide more details!

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