git status to see current state - Practice Problems & Coding Challenges

Challenge - 5 Problems

💻 Command Output

intermediate

What is the output of git status after modifying a tracked file?

You have a tracked file named app.py. You edit it but do not stage the changes. What will git status show?

A On branch main\nChanges not staged for commit:\n (use "git add <file>..." to update what will be committed)\n (use "git restore <file>..." to discard changes in working directory)\n\n\tmodified: app.py\n\nno changes added to commit (use "git add" and/or "git commit -a")

B fatal: not a git repository (or any of the parent directories): .git

C On branch main\nnothing to commit, working tree clean

D On branch main\nUntracked files:\n (use "git add <file>..." to include in what will be committed)\n\n\tapp.py\n\nnothing added to commit but untracked files present (use "git add" to track)

💡 Hint

Think about what happens when you change a file but don't stage it.

When you modify a tracked file but don't stage it, git status shows it under "Changes not staged for commit" with the file name listed as modified.

💻 Command Output

intermediate

What does git status show after staging a new file?

You create a new file README.md and run git add README.md. What will git status display?

A On branch main\nUntracked files:\n (use "git add <file>..." to include in what will be committed)\n\n\tREADME.md

B On branch main\nnothing to commit, working tree clean

C On branch main\nChanges to be committed:\n (use "git restore --staged <file>..." to unstage)\n\n\tnew file: README.md

D fatal: pathspec 'README.md' did not match any files

💡 Hint

What does staging a file do to its status?

After staging a new file, git status shows it under "Changes to be committed" as a new file.

❓ Troubleshoot

advanced

Why does git status show 'fatal: not a git repository'?

You run git status inside a folder but get the error: fatal: not a git repository (or any of the parent directories): .git. What is the most likely cause?

A You have uncommitted changes in the repository.

B You have staged files but not committed them yet.

C Your remote repository URL is incorrect.

D You are not inside a folder initialized as a git repository (no .git folder present).

💡 Hint

Think about what makes a folder a git repository.

This error means the current folder or its parents do not contain a .git folder, so git commands cannot run.

✅ Best Practice

advanced

Which git status output indicates a clean working directory ready for a new commit?

You want to confirm your working directory has no changes before starting new work. Which git status output shows this?

A On branch main\nnothing to commit, working tree clean

B On branch main\nChanges not staged for commit:\n modified: index.html

C On branch main\nChanges to be committed:\n new file: script.js

D On branch main\nUntracked files:\n README.md

💡 Hint

Look for the message that says there are no changes.

The message "nothing to commit, working tree clean" means no changes are staged or unstaged.

🔀 Workflow

expert

What sequence of git status outputs occurs when you modify, stage, and then unstage a file?

You modify app.js, stage it, then unstage it using git restore --staged app.js. What is the correct order of git status outputs after each step?

A 3,2,1

B 1,2,3

C 1,3,2

D 2,1,3

💡 Hint

Think about how staging and unstaging affect the file's status.

First, modifying the file shows it as unstaged changes (1). Staging it moves it to changes to be committed (2). Unstaging returns it to unstaged changes (3).