How to make git mark a deleted and a new file as a file move?

In Git, to have Git recognize deleted and new files as file renames, use the git mv command. This command informs Git that a file has been moved or renamed, rather than being deleted and a new file created separately. By using git mv, Git can more effectively track history and changes, allowing you to clearly see in version history that a file has been moved or renamed, rather than simply deleted and recreated.

Steps:

1. Use the git mv command to move or rename a file:

bash
git mv old_filename new_filename

This command moves the file and stages the move operation.

1. Check status:

bash
git status

You will see that Git describes the operation as a rename, rather than a delete and new file.

1. Commit changes:

bash
git commit -m "Renamed old_filename to new_filename"

This preserves the move record in the version history.

Example:

Suppose we have a file named old_name.txt that we want to rename to new_name.txt:

1. Move the file:

bash
git mv old_name.txt new_name.txt

1. Confirm the move:

bash
git status

The output will show:

shell
renamed: old_name.txt -> new_name.txt

1. Commit changes:

bash
git commit -m "Renamed old_name.txt to new_name.txt"

Using git mv not only clarifies version history but also helps other developers recognize that your file changes are moves or renames, not deletes and new file additions. This is especially crucial for large projects with many files, as it minimizes merge conflicts and enhances codebase maintainability.