![]() ![]() Renamed: simplefile1.ext -> simplefile3.extĪs we can see, Git has staged the rename for us, saving us the extra effort. This renames simplefile1.ext to simplefile3.ext, but let’s take a closer look: > git status Let's try out a simple rename command with git mv: > git mv simplefile1.ext simplefile3.ext Let’s take a look at a few examples consider the following directory tree in a Git repository, with a folder named git-mv/ at the root, two files that Git knows about, and two empty subdirectories dir1/ and dir2/: git-mv/ Git mv -v: Shorthand for -verbose, this command will report the names of the files in question as they are moved. Git mv -n: Shorthand for -dry-run, and will show you the output of the command in question without actually performing any of the changes. With the -k flag, rather than throwing an error or overwriting the destination, Git will simply skip over this action. Remember, the default behavior of Git is to throw an error if you attempt to move a file to a destination that already exist. Git mv -k: This option will allow Git to simply skip any erroneous conditions resulting from a git mv call. Remember to use caution when using the -f option if you overwrite a file only to find out later you need the contents, it could result in a time consuming search through Git's history. By using the -f flag, we are telling Git to overwrite the destination with the source file we would like to move. Git mv -f: This option is one way to resolve the issue of the destination file already existing. That is, of course, unless you tell Git to do otherwise by using the options included with the git mv command. In other words, Git doesn't presume you’re ready to stage your code updates simply because you renamed a file.Īnother difference worth noting is that the regular mv command will overwrite a destination file of the same name without asking, whereas git mv will refuse the action, and notify you that the destination file already exists. In the world of Git, changes to code take precedent over the renaming of a file. This is because git does a great job of only staging intended changes. Note, however, that if you make changes to a file prior to running git mv on it, these changes will not be staged until you run git add. ![]() Git mv automatically stages the moved file, so a simple git commit will suffice after your move or rename is complete. So, what’s the difference between running git mv vs a simple mv command? The answer lies in in the purpose of Git itself: to efficiently track changes. In this case, we are both moving and renaming the file, and making Git aware of those changes. To move or rename a file using git mv, simply specify the existing and new paths of the file after the command: git mv. ![]() So, the git mv command streamlines the process of renaming or moving files for us by inherently updating Git's index for our new paths. Then it uses the git add command to stage the new version of the file and the git rm command to remove the file from Git's tracking. These series of steps uses the Unix/Linux mv command to change the file name. This means git mv is equivalent to the following sequence of three commands: What is git mv?Īccording to the Git FAQ, "The effect is indistinguishable from removing the file and adding another with different name and the same content" (1). We consider git mv to be an intermediate Git command, on-par with others such as git rm, git diff, git tag, and other commands that are slightly more advanced than beginner Git commands such as git add and git commit. We recommend that you learn git mv to maximize Git understanding and collaboration, which can help you brand yourself as a strong asset to any team. This can be achieved using the standard Unix mv command, but Git offers a more efficient alternative git mv.Īlthough the concepts are quite simple, there is some nuance and a few edge-cases to be aware of. Developers using Git often find they need to rename or move files or directories in their software development projects.
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