GitHub key points — part 4

Working Area, Staging Area, Commit repository

We will be reviewing the concept of the areas where code lives in a local Git repository. These areas consist of the working directory, staging area, and commit repository.

The working directory comprises local files that are not tracked by Git. They have yet to be added to the staging area, so Git does not keep a record of the edits or changes made to the files in the working directory. It is also called the working area.

The staging area comprises files that are being tracked by Git. It is sometimes called the tracking area. The staging area gives you space to prepare the changes that will be reflected in the commit repository.

The commit repository contains all the commits. Briefly, a commit is a snapshot of what your working and staging areas look like at the time of the commit. A unique commit ID is created whenever a commit is made.