Git Remove File: In our earlier post on the Git tutorial, we discussed the basic things like how to add files in the staging area with Gitbash, how to write the content in a file, and finally how to git commit the file.
We have been able to cover the basics so far, but as we are making progress, the number of unnecessary files in our repository is increasing. Also, there has been no option to rename files up until now.
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| Post Type: | GIT Tutorial |
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If you’ve already created a file in Git, don’t worry! You can still change the name of the file by using a few simple commands. In this section, we’ll learn how to alter files in Git so that you can keep your project organized and tidy. In this post we will try to learn:
- How to remove files from Git Repository?
- How to rename files of Git Repository?
Git Remove: How to Remove Files from Git Repository
There is always a need to clean up space in your git repository as files are constantly being added and removed. There can be many reasons why you would need to clear the memory, so it’s important to know how to remove files.
In this file remove a section, we will try to find out the possible ways to remove the files :
- Removing a file from Git Bash.
- Removing files externally from the Git Repository.
Git Remove: Removing a file from Git Bash
Before we start anything new in Git, it’s a good practice to check the status of our repository. We want to make sure it’s a clean repository with no changes pending in the staging area to commit. So to do this we will follow some steps, which are:
- Check the status of the repository with help of the git status command
- Create an empty file with the touch command
- Add the file to the staging area
- commit the changes to the git repository
If you follow us correctly then until this we have added the files into the repository successfully. Now we will try to learn how to remove the file from the repository. To remove the file from the repository type the below command and press enter.
git rm <file_name>
You have noticed after pressing the enter it shows your file will be removed and the message rm <file_name> will be displayed.
After the file got deleted let’s check the git status
Now we can commit these changes to our respective repositories. Suppose we have the same file but this time we will delete it without using Git.
Git Remove: How to remove a file externally from Git Repository
If you remove a file without using Git, it means you’re not taking advantage of Git’s ability to clear out space. You’re either using Bash directly or some IDE. IDEs are a common way to easily rename or delete files through the GUI. However, this functionality is lacking in Git Bash. We used the same commands in the Git Status tutorial when we looked at how deleted files behave in git status.
When you delete a file without using the git command and after that, if you execute the git status command then you can notice the deleted file is displayed in the untracked files list. But for these files, you can directly commit without adding those files into the staging area.
Note: In this process, you can commit changes without adding the file into the staging area.
Renaming Files in Git Repository
Renaming a file is also one of the most commonly used operations on files. Renaming can be done for many reasons. As a developer, you might want to rename the file that another developer created. You might even need to change the name of a file you created for some reason. Whatever the reason may be, you will encounter renaming frequently when using Git repositories.
Like Delete we can do Renames file in two ways:
- Renaming a file through Git.
- Renaming a file externally in the Git repository.
Git Rename: How to rename a file through Git
For Rename a file we must have a file in our repository but if you don’t have any files then you can create a file by following the above commands which we have mentioned during the file remove process. after that to rename the file you can type the below commands:
git mv <original_file_name> <new_file_name>
In Our Case, we have some time but we are going to rename the marked file
Now time to rename the git file by executing the command
After renaming the file you can check the status of Git.
The file has been renamed and Git has registered the change. Be sure to commit these changes, as it will be important later when we rename the file outside of Git.
Git Rename: How to rename the file outside Git
Now here we are trying to rename the file without telling Git. To do so we need to use the same command but without git. like below:
mv <original_file_name> <new_file_name>
During the file rename using git, we notice that git is aware of the file change, but now let us see what the reaction of Git is when a file is renamed outside the Git. For this, you can use the git status command.
It is important to notice the behavior of Git when you rename a file outside Git. Because when you rename a file outside git is deleting file2.txt and adding a new file testing.txt. Also, both files are not present in the staging area so we have to manually add them to the staging area.
Since you renamed the file, Git recognizes the change and displays it accordingly. Be sure to commit these changes to the Git repository so they take effect. You’ll notice something interesting when you do.
If you notice the above image the high light part says rename file2.txt => testing.txt (100%), The term git refers to the confidence level that the previous file and new file are exactly the same with no difference. If any changes were made to the new file and then committed, it would have shown less than 100%.
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