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index 23160498659a1e315ecd2976dfc348f28d26469c..29e5929db22257346a2bed16cbd5ca6531698676 100644 (file)
--- a/Documentation/gitcli.txt
+++ b/Documentation/gitcli.txt
----------------------------
+NOTES ON FREQUENTLY CONFUSED OPTIONS
+------------------------------------
+
+Many commands that can work on files in the working tree
+and/or in the index can take `--cached` and/or `--index`
+options. Sometimes people incorrectly think that, because
+the index was originally called cache, these two are
+synonyms. They are *not* -- these two options mean very
+different things.
+
+ * The `--cached` option is used to ask a command that
+ usually works on files in the working tree to *only* work
+ with the index. For example, `git grep`, when used
+ without a commit to specify from which commit to look for
+ strings in, usually works on files in the working tree,
+ but with the `--cached` option, it looks for strings in
+ the index.
+
+ * The `--index` option is used to ask a command that
+ usually works on files in the working tree to *also*
+ affect the index. For example, `git stash apply` usually
+ merges changes recorded in a stash to the working tree,
+ but with the `--index` option, it also merges changes to
+ the index as well.
+
+`git apply` command can be used with `--cached` and
+`--index` (but not at the same time). Usually the command
+only affects the files in the working tree, but with
+`--index`, it patches both the files and their index
+entries, and with `--cached`, it modifies only the index
+entries.
+
+See also http://marc.info/?l=git&m=116563135620359 and
+http://marc.info/?l=git&m=119150393620273 for further
+information.
+
Documentation
-------------
-Documentation by Pierre Habouzit.
+Documentation by Pierre Habouzit and the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.
GIT
---