Reset.md

Git Reset

What is Reset?

Think of reset as a "go back in time" button. It’s used to undo changes, either by moving your HEAD back to a previous commit or by un-staging files that you haven’t committed yet. There are different types of reset, but they all involve rewinding changes in some way.

Real-World Example:

Imagine you made several changes to your project but realized that one of your changes was a mistake. Instead of manually undoing everything, you can use reset to "reset" your work back to the way it was before the error.

• Soft Reset: Undo the commit, but keep changes staged.
• Mixed Reset: Undo the commit and unstage the changes.
• Hard Reset: Undo the commit and discard changes entirely.

Types of Reset and How to Use Them:

1. Soft Reset (keep changes staged):

git reset --soft HEAD~1

This command moves your HEAD back one commit but keeps your changes in the staging area.

2. Mixed Reset (unstage changes):

git reset --mixed HEAD~1

This command moves your HEAD back one commit and unstages the changes.

3. Hard Reset (discard changes):

git reset --hard HEAD~1

This command moves your HEAD back one commit and discards the changes you made in the working directory.

When to Use Reset:

• Soft reset is useful when you want to amend a commit (i.e., modify the commit but keep the changes staged for re-committing).
• Mixed reset is helpful when you want to undo a commit and untrack the changes (i.e., move them from the staging area to the working directory).
• Hard reset is useful when you want to completely discard the changes, such as when you've made a mistake or want to roll back to a clean state.