Re: Git commit won't add an untracked file given on the command line

[Mark Burton <markb@ordern.com>]

Hi,

> > That's just impossible.  You cannot create a tree object, let alone a 
> > commit object, without touching the index (AKA staging area).
> 
> I do not think Mark really _means_ "not in the index".
> 
> The wish is more like "I want to let git know that I am interested in this
> path, but I'm not ready to say what exact content I want for that path in
> the next commit, not just yet".
> 
> I do not think that is an unreasonable wish.  On the other hand, it is
> unreasonable for anybody to insist that we satisfy the wish without
> touching the index.  The index is the most natural place to do that.
> 
> We have a half (probably a quarter) of what we need for that implemented
> already, by the way.

Sorry, poor choice of words on my part - you have to remember my
viewpoint is one of user more than developer.

My wish was really just based on the advertised behaviour that
specifying a file on the command line would commit the contents of that
file while leaving the index intact. Whether the index was temporarily
used/altered during the execution of the commit didn't cross my mind.

Hey, it's not a big deal and with the accepted patch to the
documentation it need not take any more of anyone's time.

Cheers,

Mark