How files move between three areas in Git - Visual Walkthrough

Process Flow - How files move between three areas

Working Directory

↓

Staging Area (Index)

↓

Local Repository

↓

Remote Repository

Files start in the working directory, then move to the staging area with 'git add', then to the local repository with 'git commit', and finally to the remote repository with 'git push'.

Execution Sample

Git

echo 'Hello' > file.txt
 git add file.txt
 git commit -m 'Add file'
 git push origin main

This sequence creates a file, stages it, commits it to local repo, and pushes it to remote.

Process Table

Step	Command	Area Affected	State Change	Result
1	echo 'Hello' > file.txt	Working Directory	file.txt created with content 'Hello'	file.txt exists locally but untracked
2	git add file.txt	Staging Area	file.txt added to staging area	file.txt ready to commit
3	git commit -m 'Add file'	Local Repository	staged file committed	commit created with file.txt content
4	git push origin main	Remote Repository	commit sent to remote	remote repo updated with commit
5	End	-	-	All changes moved from working directory to remote repository

💡 All files moved through working directory -> staging -> local repo -> remote repo

Status Tracker

Area	Start	After Step 1	After Step 2	After Step 3	After Step 4
Working Directory	empty	file.txt created	file.txt unchanged	file.txt unchanged	file.txt unchanged
Staging Area	empty	empty	file.txt staged	empty (after commit)	empty
Local Repository	empty	empty	empty	commit with file.txt	commit with file.txt
Remote Repository	empty	empty	empty	empty	commit with file.txt

Key Moments - 3 Insights

Why does the file still exist in the working directory after 'git add'?

Because 'git add' copies the file to the staging area but does not remove it from the working directory. See execution_table step 2.

What happens to the staging area after 'git commit'?

The staging area is cleared after commit because the changes are saved in the local repository. See execution_table step 3.

Does 'git push' change the local repository?

No, 'git push' sends commits from the local repository to the remote repository without changing the local repo. See execution_table step 4.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution table, after which step is the file first added to the staging area?

A Step 1

B Step 3

C Step 2

D Step 4

💡 Hint

Check the 'Area Affected' and 'State Change' columns in step 2.

At which step does the local repository get updated with the new commit?

A Step 3

B Step 2

C Step 1

D Step 4

💡 Hint

Look for 'Local Repository' in the 'Area Affected' column.

If you skip 'git add' and run 'git commit' directly, what would happen?

A The file is committed anyway

B Nothing is committed because staging area is empty

C The file is pushed to remote

D The file is deleted from working directory

💡 Hint

Recall that 'git commit' only commits staged files (see execution_table step 2 and 3).

Concept Snapshot

Git moves files through three main areas:
1. Working Directory: where files are created or changed.
2. Staging Area: files added here with 'git add' to prepare for commit.
3. Local Repository: files saved permanently with 'git commit'.
Finally, 'git push' sends commits to the remote repository.

Full Transcript

In Git, files start in the working directory where you create or edit them. When you run 'git add', the files move to the staging area, which is like a waiting room for changes. Next, 'git commit' saves these staged files into the local repository as a snapshot. Finally, 'git push' sends these commits to the remote repository, sharing your changes with others. This flow helps you control what changes are saved and shared step-by-step.