Understanding Git Restore and Reset Commands

Git is a powerful version control system that allows you to manage changes to your code over time. In this article, we'll explore two important Git commands that help you undo changes in your repository: git restore and git reset.

git restore

git restore is a command that allows you to undo changes to specific files or parts of files. It is often used when you have made changes to a file that you want to undo, but haven't committed yet.

For example, let's say you have edited a file called main.py, but you realize that you made a mistake. To restore the file to its previous state, you can use the following command:

$ git restore main.py

This will restore the file to its state in the last commit.

You can also use git restore to unstage changes that you have made but haven't committed yet. For example:

$ git add main.py $ git restore main.py

This will unstage the changes you made to main.py.

Using checkout to restore

   git checkout <commit_hash_id> -- <file_path> Example
   git checkout cc1d4a7 -- example.py

 

git reset

git reset is a command that allows you to reset the state of your entire repository, including all files and commits. It is often used when you want to undo changes that you have made to your code but haven't committed yet.

For example, let's say you have made changes to several files, but you realize that you don't want to keep these changes. To reset your repository to its previous state, you can use the following command:

$ git reset --hard HEAD^

This will reset your repository to the state of the last commit, effectively discarding all changes you have made since that commit.

You can also use git reset to move your branch pointer to a different commit, effectively discarding changes that have been made since that commit. For example:

$ git reset --hard <commit_hash>

This will reset your repository to the state of the specified commit.

 

Conclusion

In conclusion, git restore and git reset are two powerful Git commands that allow you to undo changes in your repository. git restore is used to undo changes to specific files, while git reset is used to reset the entire repository. Both commands are essential for any Git user and mastering them will help you effectively manage changes to your code.