GIT Basics - Delete Files

Let's follow below example to understand file deleting scenarios

git status

clean directory

Create new file using mate in MacOS

mate doomed.txt

Delete untracked file

git status

Untracked files:

doomed.txt

git rm doomed.txt

fatal: pathspec 'doomed.txt'  did not match any files

So we cannot delete using git command. cause doomed.txt file is yet to be indexed ot not yet indexed in git.

So we remove using OS command

rm doomed.txt

ls --> doomed.txt is deleted. verified

git status

nothing to commit, working directory clean

git ls-files

... so many files and last newfile.txt

newfile.txt

Remove a tracked file from git

git rm newfile.txt

rm 'newfile.txt'  --> message shown

ls - newfile.txt is deleted. verified

git status

Changes to be committed:

deleted: newfile.txt

deletion is not permanent yet. to move forward need to commit.

git commit -m "deleting newfile"

git status

nothing to commit, working directory clean

Delete stage file

ls

hip.txt

git ls-files

....

hip.txt

..

..

git rm hip.txt

rm 'hip.txt'

ls - hip.txt is deleted. verified

git status

Changes to be committed:

deleted: hip.txt

Now if you need to revert this, delete --> Unstage

git reset HEAD hip.txt  --> here becareful, tab will not be available as file is not present. So write the name of the file correctly.

git reset HEAD hip.txt

Unstaged  changes after reset:

D hip.txt

--------

ls --> hip.txt still not available.

git status

Changed not staged for commit:

deleted: hip.txt

previously with reset unstaged the file, did not restore the file back to OS file system.

we need revert changes made for the working directory. follow the message in "git status"

git checkout -- hip.txt

ls --> verify. hip.txt is available

git status

nothing to commit, working directory clean

Above explain, how to delete a file using git.

what happens if we delete a file tracked or indexed in the git

In simple - git is tracking. you don't use git to remove. instead remove using terminal command or file explorer

let's use terminal command or bash command to delete a file

rm  hip.txt  --> not using git rm

ls - verified, hip.txt no longer exist

git status --> detects the remove

Changes not staged for commit:

deleted: hip.txt

We can handle that

git add -A

git status

Changes to be committed:

deleted:  hip.txt

git commit

git status

nothing to commit, working directory clean

Remove entire folder structure

rm -rf lv1

ls --> verified, lv1 folder deleted

git status

Changes not staged for commit:

lv1/lv1.txt

lv1/lv2/lv2.txt

lv1/lv2/lv3/lv3.txt

git add -A 

git status

Changes to be committed:

lv1/lv1.txt

lv1/lv2/lv2.txt

lv1/lv2/lv3/lv3.txt

git commit -m "level 1 and all childern"

git status

nothing to commit, working directory clean