Understanding Git's -m and -am Options: Simplifying Your Commit Workflow

Git is a powerful version control tool used by developers worldwide, but getting the hang of its many commands and flags can sometimes feel overwhelming. Two such flags, -m and -am, are particularly useful for streamlining your workflow when committing changes. In this blog post, we'll break down what these options mean, how they work, and when to use them.

What is Git?
Before we dive into the specifics of -m and -am, let's quickly revisit what Git does. Git is a distributed version control system that tracks changes in your code. It enables developers to manage and collaborate on code projects efficiently by creating snapshots, or commits, of changes over time. Each commit is like a save point, allowing you to revert back to previous versions if needed.

Making a commit in Git involves three basic steps:

• Making changes to your files.
• Staging those changes (i.e., marking them as ready to be committed).
• Committing the changes, often with a descriptive message.

Git’s -m Option: Commit with a Message
One of the most common actions you'll perform in Git is making a commit. Normally, Git opens an editor to let you write a detailed commit message, but when you want to save time or don't need a long message, you can use the -m option.

The -m flag stands for "message" and allows you to include your commit message directly from the command line. Instead of opening a text editor to write your commit message, you simply add it as part of the command.

Example:

git add . //or git add <file-name>
git commit -m "Fixed user authentication bug"

When to Use -m:

• When you want to quickly commit changes with a brief message.
• For small, isolated changes that don’t require detailed explanations.
• When you're working in a collaborative environment and need to commit changes frequently.

Git’s -am Option: Stage and Commit All Changes
While the -m flag is useful for adding a message, the -am flag is a combination of two flags:

• -a: Stands for "all" and stages all changes to tracked files (files that are already being tracked by Git).
• -m: As before, this allows you to specify a commit message.

In essence, git commit -am stages and commits all the modified files in one command. This can save you a step by automatically staging files that have been changed, so you don't need to run git add separately.

Example:

git commit -am "Refactored login component and updated styles"

Here, Git will:

• Stage all the modified files (i.e., any changes you've made to tracked files).
• Commit those changes with the message "Refactored components and updated styles".

When to Use -am:

• When you have multiple changes to tracked files and want to commit them all in one go.
• When you're working on a large project and don't want to manually stage each file before committing.
• For quick, iterative commits where you’re not adding any new files, only modifying existing ones.

-m vs -am: Which One Should You Use?
While both options streamline your Git workflow, they serve different purposes. If you’re making small, focused changes and want to explicitly decide which files to commit, use the -m option. It gives you more control over what gets included in the commit.

On the other hand, if you’re working on a larger update that involves modifying several tracked files, -am is a time-saver. It stages all your modified files and commits them in one step, letting you focus on the work rather than managing file stages.

Now that you understand the differences between -m and -am, you can incorporate these options into your daily Git workflow for a more efficient, organized process.

Happy coding!!!