Lessons Learned from File Operations

PowerShell vs Unix Commands

When working with file operations in PowerShell, there are several important differences from Unix commands that need to be considered:

Command Chaining

• Bad: Using Unix-style command chaining with &&

  mv file1.md file2.md && mv file3.md file4.md
  

• Good: Run commands separately or use PowerShell's semicolon

  Move-Item file1.md file2.md; Move-Item file3.md file4.md
  

Directory Creation

• Bad: Using Unix-style mkdir -p

  mkdir -p "src/site/notes/Linux/etc files"
  

• Good: Using PowerShell's New-Item command

  New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path "src/site/notes/Linux/etc files" -Force
  

File Movement

• Bad: Using Unix-style mv command

  mv "file with spaces.md" "new location/"
  

• Good: Using PowerShell's Move-Item command with proper quoting

  Move-Item "file with spaces.md" "new location/"
  

Git Operations

When moving files around in a git repository, there are several important considerations:

Checking Status

Always check git status before committing to see:

• Deleted files (shown in red)
• Untracked files (shown in green)
• Modified files (shown in yellow)

Staging Changes

When moving files, you need to stage both:

• The new files in their new location
• The deleted files in their old location

Commit Messages

Write descriptive commit messages that include:

• What was changed
• Where files were moved (if applicable)
• Why the change was made

Example of a good commit message:

Move files from raw_notes to notes directory: moved OSI Model.md and scp.md to root, Linux and Android files to their respective directories

Best Practices

1. Always check for existing files in the destination before moving
2. Create directory structure before moving files into it
3. Use proper quoting around paths with spaces
4. Use PowerShell-specific commands instead of Unix-style commands
5. Review git status carefully before committing
6. Write descriptive commit messages
7. Stage both new and deleted files when moving files

Common Pitfalls

1. Forgetting to check for existing files in destination
2. Not handling spaces in file/directory names properly
3. Using Unix commands in PowerShell
4. Not staging both new and deleted files
5. Writing vague commit messages
6. Not creating directory structure before moving files
7. Not checking git status before committing