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   git-fast-import    ( 1 )

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TECHNICAL DISCUSSION

fast-import tracks a set of branches in memory. Any branch can be
       created or modified at any point during the import process by
       sending a commit command on the input stream. This design allows
       a frontend program to process an unlimited number of branches
       simultaneously, generating commits in the order they are
       available from the source data. It also simplifies the frontend
       programs considerably.

       fast-import does not use or alter the current working directory,
       or any file within it. (It does however update the current Git
       repository, as referenced by GIT_DIR.) Therefore an import
       frontend may use the working directory for its own purposes, such
       as extracting file revisions from the foreign source. This
       ignorance of the working directory also allows fast-import to run
       very quickly, as it does not need to perform any costly file
       update operations when switching between branches.