Describe the Git symbols

Question

I have started to use Git because I consider it is a better revision controller.

Could someone help me to understand what git status -s symbols means?

Answer 1

If you write

git help status 

in the terminal the OPTIONS list will appear telling you that -s refers to the short format of git status.

If you go to OUTPUT->Short Format you will find all symbols explained:

   Short Format
   In the short-format, the status of each path is shown as

       XY PATH1 -> PATH2

   where PATH1 is the path in the HEAD, and the " -> PATH2" part is shown
   only when PATH1 corresponds to a different path in the index/worktree
   (i.e. the file is renamed). The XY is a two-letter status code.

   The fields (including the ->) are separated from each other by a single
   space. If a filename contains whitespace or other nonprintable
   characters, that field will be quoted in the manner of a C string
   literal: surrounded by ASCII double quote (34) characters, and with
   interior special characters backslash-escaped.

   For paths with merge conflicts, X and Y show the modification states of
   each side of the merge. For paths that do not have merge conflicts, X
   shows the status of the index, and Y shows the status of the work tree.
   For untracked paths, XY are ??. Other status codes can be interpreted
   as follows:

   ·   ' ' = unmodified

   ·    M = modified

   ·    A = added

   ·    D = deleted

   ·    R = renamed

   ·    C = copied

   ·    U = updated but unmerged

   Ignored files are not listed, unless --ignored option is in effect, in
   which case XY are !!.

   X          Y     Meaning
   -------------------------------------------------
             [MD]   not updated
   M        [ MD]   updated in index
   A        [ MD]   added to index
   D         [ M]   deleted from index
   R        [ MD]   renamed in index
   C        [ MD]   copied in index
   [MARC]           index and work tree matches
   [ MARC]     M    work tree changed since index
   [ MARC]     D    deleted in work tree
   -------------------------------------------------

   D           D    unmerged, both deleted
   A           U    unmerged, added by us
   U           D    unmerged, deleted by them
   U           A    unmerged, added by them
   D           U    unmerged, deleted by us
   A           A    unmerged, both added
   U           U    unmerged, both modified
   -------------------------------------------------
   ?           ?    untracked
   !           !    ignored
   -------------------------------------------------