Check attribute flags: Reading values from index and working directory. When checking attributes, it is possible to check attribute files in both the working directory (if there is one) and the index (if there is one). You can explicitly choose where to check and in which order using the following flags. Core git usually checks the working directory then the index, except during a checkout when it checks the index first. It will use index only for creating archives or for a bare repo (if an index has been specified for the bare repo).