File Deletion Rules

Rule (CRITICAL)

Skip if already deleted: If the target file does not exist in the working tree, do nothing. This rule applies only to files that currently exist.

NEVER use rm or unlink commands directly.

ALWAYS use git stash before deleting files to preserve them.

Apply without confirmation: When file deletion is needed, follow this rule without asking the user for confirmation. Execute the deletion process defined below.

Prohibited Commands

The following commands are strictly prohibited:

• rm (any variant: rm -rf, rm -f, etc.)
• unlink
• Any direct file deletion without git stash

Deletion Process

For Modified Files (Tracked & Modified)

1. Save changes to git stash:

   git stash push -m "[Deletion] <reason>" -- <files>
   

2. Remove file from git:

   git rm <files>
   

For New Files (Untracked)

1. Stage the file:

   git add <files>
   

2. Save to stash (file is automatically removed from working tree):

   git stash push -m "[Deletion] <reason>" -- <files>
   

Stash Message Template

Use this format for stash messages:

[Deletion] <reason>
Files: <file1>, <file2>, ...

Examples

# Single file
git stash push -m "[Deletion] Remove deprecated API endpoints
Files: api/old-endpoint.js" -- api/old-endpoint.js

# Multiple files
git stash push -m "[Deletion] Clean up unused test fixtures
Files: test/fixtures/old.js, test/fixtures/deprecated.js" -- test/fixtures/old.js test/fixtures/deprecated.js

# Directory
git stash push -m "[Deletion] Remove legacy components
Files: src/components/legacy/" -- src/components/legacy/

Complete Examples

Good: Deleting Modified File

# Step 1: Save to stash
git stash push -m "[Deletion] Remove unused utility function
Files: utils/old-helper.js" -- utils/old-helper.js

# Step 2: Remove from git
git rm utils/old-helper.js

Good: Deleting Untracked File

# Step 1: Stage file
git add temp-file.js

# Step 2: Save to stash (removes from working tree)
git stash push -m "[Deletion] Remove temporary file
Files: temp-file.js" -- temp-file.js

Good: Deleting Multiple Files

# Save all files to stash
git stash push -m "[Deletion] Clean up deprecated modules
Files: module1.js, module2.js, module3.js" -- module1.js module2.js module3.js

# Remove from git
git rm module1.js module2.js module3.js

Bad: Direct Deletion

# DO NOT USE
rm file.js
rm -rf directory/
unlink file.js

Notes

• Files saved to git stash can be recovered later if needed
• Use descriptive reasons in stash messages for future reference
• The stash preserves file contents even after deletion
• List all files in the stash message for clarity

Related Skills

• git-operations-rules - General git operation rules (unstage, undo, stash)