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Removing Files

4:14 with Jay McGavren

Removing a file from your working directory is not the same as removing it from your Git repo. In this video, we'll learn about the "git rm" command.

Removing a file from the working directory

tin.html:

<h1>Check out our tin medals!</h1>

<p>Medallion: $10</p>
<p>Ribbon: $50</p>
  • We've added a tin.html file showcasing the store's new tin medals.
  • If we run git status, we'll see the file is untracked.
  • So let's add it: git add tin.html
  • And then we'll commit it: git commit -m "Add tin medals"
  • But suppose we later learned that customers weren't too pleased with the new tin medals, and we've decided to drop the product.
  • We can delete the file from our terminal using the rm command, which stands for "remove": rm tin.html

Removing a file from Git

  • If we run git status, it still shows the deleted file:
$ git status
# On branch master
# Changes not staged for commit:
#   (use "git add/rm <file>..." to update what will be committed)
#   (use "git checkout -- <file>..." to discard changes in working directory)
#
#       deleted:    tin.html
#
no changes added to commit (use "git add" and/or "git commit -a")
  • It shows that the tin.html file has been deleted, but it shows that in the "Changes not staged for commit" section.
  • We can make the deletion of tin.html part of a commit by using the git rm subcommand.
  • git rm is set up to work much like the plain rm command, so it's much like taking our previous command and sticking git in front of it: git rm tin.html
  • Let's run git status again...
  • ...and we'll see the deletion of tin.html is listed in the "Changes to be committed" section now.
$ git status
# On branch master
# Changes to be committed:
#   (use "git reset HEAD <file>..." to unstage)
#
#       deleted:    tin.html
#
  • Next, we can commit as usual: git commit -m "Remove tin medals"
  • Now we can run git status again...
  • ...and this time it will show the working directory is clean.
$ git status
# On branch master
nothing to commit, working directory clean
  • And if we run ls, we'll see that the tin.html file is still gone.
  • By the way, we didn't need to run rm tin.html as a separate step. git rm will remove the file from the working directory for you, if it exists.

[MUSIC] 0:00
Previously, we've shown you how to set up a Git repository and commit files to it. 0:04
But with just the commands you know now, when you commit a file, 0:09
well you're committed. 0:12
If you decide you need to delete or 0:14
move a file, you can do it in your working directory. 0:16
But you can't do it in the Git repo. 0:18
If you staged the wrong file, we haven't shown you how to unstage it. 0:21
In these next few videos, we'll fix all that and more. 0:25
We'll show you how to delete or 0:29
move files in the get repo as well as your working directory. 0:30
You'll learn how to unstage files that you've accidentally staged. 0:34
We'll help you reset a file's contents back to the way they looked 0:37
after your last commit. 0:40
We'll show you how to bring back a file that you've accidentally deleted. 0:42
And if you decide you don't like the changes you made in the commit, 0:46
we'll show you how to undo that commit. 0:49
This is the good stuff. 0:51
In these lessons you'll begin to see the real power of Git. 0:53
Ready? 0:57
Let's get started. 0:57
We've added the tin.html file showcasing the store's new tin medals. 0:59
If we run git status, we'll see the file is untracked. 1:05
So let's add it. 1:10
Git add tin.html, and then we'll commit it, 1:11
git commit -m "Add tin medals". 1:16
And we close our editor, satisfied with a job well done. 1:23
But suppose we later learn that the customers weren't too pleased with the new 1:26
tin medals, and we've decided to drop the product. 1:30
If we run the ls command, 1:33
it will show the tin.html file here in our project directory. 1:35
We can delete the file from our terminal using the rm command, which stands for 1:39
remove, rm tin.html. 1:44
Just like ls, the rm command isn't part of Git, but 1:48
it is standard on all Unix-like systems, so it's worth learning how to use. 1:51
See the teacher's notes if you want more info. 1:56
Running ls again will show that the tin.html file is gone. 1:59
But the tin.html file is being tracked by Git. 2:03
Will deleting the file from our working directory 2:07
also delete it from the repository? 2:10
Let's try our trusty git status command to find out. 2:12
It shows that the tin.html file has been deleted, but 2:16
it shows that in the changes not staged for commit section. 2:19
Why is that? 2:23
In Git, commits don't just add or modify files, they can delete them as well. 2:25
This is important because repositories can be shared across multiple computers. 2:30
When you decide to remove a file from your project, you don't want that file to be 2:35
left sitting in your coworker's copy of the project. 2:39
You want it to be deleted from your coworker's machine, too. 2:42
Making file deletions part of a commit ensures that the copies of your Git 2:45
repository will have those deletions applied, too. 2:49
And by the way, in case you're worried about others using this feature to delete 2:53
files from your machine, there are ways to undo the deletion of a file, 2:57
even after you've committed the deletion. 3:01
We'll see one way in an upcoming video. 3:03
So how can we make the deletion of tin.html part of a commit? 3:06
The key is to use the git rm command. 3:10
Git rm is set up to work much like the plain rm command. 3:14
So it's much like taking our previous command and 3:17
sticking the word git in front of it, git rm tin.html. 3:21
Let's run git status again. 3:29
And we'll see the deletion of tin.html is listed in the changes to be 3:32
committed section now. 3:37
Next, we can commit as usual, 3:39
git commit -m, "Remove, tin medals". 3:43
Now we can run git status again, and 3:52
this time it will show that the working directory is clean. 3:54
And if we run ls, we'll see that the tin.html file is still gone. 3:59
By the way, we didn't need to run rm tin.html as a separate step. 4:03
Git rm will remove the file from the working directory for you, if it exists. 4:09

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