Clean vs dirty working directory in Git - Quick Revision & Key Differences

Recall & Review

beginner

What does a clean working directory mean in Git?

A clean working directory means there are no changes to tracked files. All files are committed, and Git shows no differences when you run git status.

beginner

What is a dirty working directory in Git?

A dirty working directory means there are changes in files that are not yet committed. These can be modified, added, or deleted files that Git tracks as different from the last commit.

beginner

Which command shows if your working directory is clean or dirty?

The command git status shows the current state of the working directory, listing any changes that make it dirty or confirming it is clean.

intermediate

How can you make a dirty working directory clean?

You can make it clean by committing changes with git commit, discarding changes with git restore <file>, or staging changes with git add followed by commit.

intermediate

Why is it important to have a clean working directory before switching branches?

Having a clean working directory prevents conflicts and lost changes when switching branches. Git requires this to safely move between different snapshots of your project.

What does git status show when your working directory is clean?

A Untracked files listed

B Modified files listed

C No changes to commit, working tree clean

D Merge conflicts present

When the working directory is clean, git status shows 'No changes to commit, working tree clean'.

Which of these indicates a dirty working directory?

A Git repository is empty

B No files listed by <code>git status</code>

C Git prompt shows branch name only

D Files listed under 'Changes not staged for commit'

Files listed under 'Changes not staged for commit' means the working directory has uncommitted changes, so it is dirty.

How do you stage changes to prepare for a clean working directory?

A git add &lt;file&gt;

B git clone &lt;repo&gt;

C git branch &lt;name&gt;

D git merge &lt;branch&gt;

git add <file> stages changes, which is the first step to making the working directory clean after committing.

What happens if you try to switch branches with a dirty working directory?

A Git may prevent switching to avoid losing changes

B Git switches branches without any warning

C Git automatically commits changes

D Git deletes untracked files

Git usually prevents switching branches if there are uncommitted changes to avoid conflicts or data loss.

Which command discards changes in a dirty working directory?

A git commit

B git restore &lt;file&gt;

C git push

D git merge

git restore <file> discards changes in the working directory, reverting the file to the last committed state.

Explain what a clean and a dirty working directory mean in Git and how you can check their status.

Think about what Git shows when you run 'git status'.

Describe the steps you would take to move from a dirty working directory to a clean one.

Consider both saving changes and undoing changes.