why can *some* git commands not be run from within .git directory?

["Robert P. J. Day" <rpjday@crashcourse.ca>]

  just noticed something i was unaware of -- some git commands can't
be run if i'm in the .git directory, while others can. for example,
if i "cd .git", commands like this work just fine:

  $ git show
  $ git branch
  $ git log

but others seem unwilling to determine the "working tree":

  $ git status
  fatal: This operation must be run in a work tree
  $

and:

  $ git stash list
  fatal: /usr/libexec/git-core/git-stash cannot be used without a working tree.
  $

what's the distinction between commands that can work this way, and
commands that can't?

rday

p.s. i will refrain from pointing out the inconsistency in using the
phrases "work tree" and "working tree" to mean the same thing, when
there is a distinct "worktree" entity.

-- 

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Robert P. J. Day                                 Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA
                        http://crashcourse.ca

Twitter:                                       http://twitter.com/rpjday
LinkedIn:                               http://ca.linkedin.com/in/rpjday
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