Git PR Anti-Pattern: Accidentally Deleting Files From Main

A subtle git workflow mistake: creating files on a branch that already exist in main, then deleting them, makes Git think you want to delete them from the repository.

The Scenario

Branch A creates file.txt → merged to main
You create Branch B, also creating file.txt (not knowing it exists)
Git shows modifications, not new file
You git rm file.txt to “clean up”
PR shows: -1 file (deletion!)

Why This Happens

Git tracks content, not just filenames. When two branches create identical/similar files, Git may treat them as the same file with modifications.

# Your branch shows modifications
git status
# modified:   file.txt   ← not "new file"

# You think: "I don't need this"
git rm file.txt

# Git thinks: "They want to delete file.txt from main"

The Fix

Don’t delete — restore from main:

# Checkout the file from main branch
git checkout main -- file.txt

# Or restore all files that exist in main
git checkout main -- .

# Commit the restoration
git commit -m "Restore files from main"

Prevention

Always pull main before starting new work:

git checkout main
git pull
git checkout -b new-branch

Check if files exist before creating:
```
git ls-tree main -- path/to/file
```
Review your PR diff carefully — watch for unexpected deletions

What “Rebase From Main” Means

When someone says “rebase from main”:

# Update your local main
git checkout main
git pull origin main

# Rebase your branch
git checkout your-branch
git rebase main

# Force push to update PR
git push --force-with-lease

This replays your commits on top of the latest main, avoiding conflicts and incorporating recent changes.

Lesson

In PR diffs, deletions are dangerous. Always verify that deleted files are intentional — especially if you never meant to touch them in the first place.