Renaming files

Git Renaming vs. Non-Git Renaming and Fixing Unrecognized Renames

When working with Git, renaming files can be tracked in two ways:

Git Renaming: Using git mv or a Git-aware tool to rename a file ensures Git tracks the rename as part of the file's history. This preserves all previous changes and makes it easier to trace the file's evolution.

Non-Git Renaming: Renaming a file directly in the file system (outside Git) causes Git to interpret the change as a deletion of the original file and the creation of a new one, breaking the history link. This can confuse some applications that rely on Git's rename tracking.

Fixing Unrecognized Renames in Git

If a file was renamed without Git recognizing it, you can fix it:

1. Stage the Changes
   Add both the "deleted" file and the "new" file to the staging area:

   git add old_filename new_filename
   

2. Manually Mark the Rename
   Move the new file back to the original name temporarily and then rename it using Git:

   mv new_filename old_filename
   git mv old_filename new_filename
   

3. Commit the Rename
   Commit the changes to properly record the rename and preserve history:

   git commit -m "Renamed old_filename to new_filename"
   

Retrospective Detection of Renames

If the rename has already been committed as a delete and an add, Git can detect it retrospectively based on content similarity during operations like git log or git diff:

• Use --follow with git log to trace history across renames:

  git log --follow new_filename
  

• Use -M during git diff to detect renames:

  git diff -M
  

Automating Rename Detection

To make Git more aggressive in detecting renames for diffs and logs:

git config diff.renames true

This setting helps Git interpret renames based on content similarity but does not retroactively rewrite history. Always use git mv for renaming when possible to avoid these issues.