CMD GIT > `git add` vs `git add -p`

2 Control staging changes before committing #

3 git add #

• What it does : Stages entire files.
• Use case : When you're confident that you want to stage all changes in a file.

git add file

3 git add -p (or --patch) #

• What it does: Allows you to interactively stage parts (hunks) of files.
• Use case: When you want to commit only some of the changes in a file (e.g., splitting a large file change into multiple meaningful commits).

git add -p

Go through each change (hunk) and ask:

Stage this hunk [y,n,q,a,d,s,e,?]?

Choose to:

• y: stage this hunk
• n: do not stage this hunk
• s: split hunk into smaller pieces (if possible)
• e: manually edit the hunk before staging
• a: stage this hunk and all remaining ones
• q: quit
• ?: help

3 When use which? #

3 Example #

Suppose you've made multiple unrelated changes in app.py:

• Fixed a bug in one function
• Added a print statement for debugging
• Refactored another part

Using git add app.py will stage everything, mixing them into one commit.
Using git add -p lets you select only the bug fix, leaving the rest for separate commits.

.

2 How "big" should a commit be? #

Make commits a clean, complete step not big nor small - just logically focused.

Sample commit history for a small feature implementation:
Eg a feature: that allows users to update their name, bio, ...

3 Example Commit History #

feat(profile): create basic user profile page layout
# Add empty HTML structure and basic styling for user profile page. No logic yet.

feat(profile): fetch and display current user data
# Hooks up backend to frontend: loads user’s preofile datusing API

feat(profile): add form for editing profile info
# Add input fields and submit button. Includes controlled form components

feat(profile): implement saveProfile API call
# Add API integration to send profile updates to server

fix(profile): prevent form submission with invalid data
# Add validation: name required, bio max 160 chars, avatar must be image URL

refactor(profile): extract ProfileForm into separate component
# Cleans up logic by moving form into its own reusable component

test(profile): add tests for profile update logic
# Add unit tests for API integration and form validation

style(profile): improve spacing and avatar preview style
# Minor visual tweaks. Purely cosmetic changes

3 Why this works #

Each commit:

• Has a clear purpose (add, fix, refactor, test, style, etc.)
• Can be read and understood independently
• Could potentially be reverted on its own if needed
• Helps reviewers follow your thought process