SYNOPSIS
--------
[verse]
-'git-commit' [-a] [-i] [-s] [-v] [(-c | -C) <commit> | -F <file> | -m <msg>]
- [-e] [--author <author>] [--] <file>...
+'git-commit' [-a] [-s] [-v] [(-c | -C) <commit> | -F <file> | -m <msg>]
+ [-e] [--author <author>] [--] [[-i | -o ]<file>...]
DESCRIPTION
-----------
commit the whole index. This is the traditional
behaviour.
---::
- Do not interpret any more arguments as options.
-
-<file>...::
+-o|--only::
Commit only the files specified on the command line.
This format cannot be used during a merge, nor when the
index and the latest commit does not match on the
specified paths to avoid confusion.
+--::
+ Do not interpret any more arguments as options.
+
+<file>...::
+ Files to be committed. The meaning of these is
+ different between `--include` and `--only`. Without
+ either, it defaults `--include` semantics.
+
If you make a commit and then found a mistake immediately after
that, you can recover from it with gitlink:git-reset[1].
+WARNING
+-------
+
+The 1.2.0 and its maintenance series 1.2.X will keep the
+traditional `--include` semantics as the default when neither
+`--only` nor `--include` is specified and `paths...` are given.
+This *will* change during the development towards 1.3.0 in the
+'master' branch of `git.git` repository. If you are using this
+command in your scripts, and you depend on the traditional
+`--include` semantics, please update them to explicitly ask for
+`--include` semantics. Also if you are used to making partial
+commit using `--include` semantics, please train your fingers to
+say `git commit --include paths...` (or `git commit -i paths...`).
+
+
Discussion
----------
That is, update the specified paths to the index and then commit
the whole tree.
-`git commit paths...` largely bypasses the index file and
+`git commit --only paths...` largely bypasses the index file and
commits only the changes made to the specified paths. It has
however several safety valves to prevent confusion.