Git Reset

We use git reset to revert to a specific commit in a Git repository. There are a couple of options depending on what you want to achieve:

• undoing changes
• resetting to a previous state.

Undoing Changes with Revert

If you want to create a new commit that undoes the changes made by a specific commit, you can use git revert. This is useful when you want to keep a record of the fact that you’ve undone a commit.

1. Find the commit hash: First, find the hash of the commit you want to revert to. You can do this using git log, which shows a history of commits along with their hashes.

   git log

2. Revert the commit: Use git revert followed by the commit hash of the commit you want to revert.

   git revert <commit-hash>

   Replace <commit-hash> with the actual hash of the commit you want to revert.

3. Resolve conflicts (if any): Git might prompt you to resolve any conflicts that occur during the revert process. Once conflicts are resolved (if any), Git will create a new commit that undoes the changes introduced by the specified commit.

Resetting to a Specific Commit

If you want to reset your branch to exactly match the state of a specific commit, you can use git reset. This is a more forceful operation and should be used with caution, especially if the commit you’re resetting to is not the most recent one.

1. Find the commit hash: Again, find the hash of the commit you want to reset to using git log.

2. Reset to the commit: Use git reset --hard followed by the commit hash.

   git reset --hard <commit-hash>

   Replace <commit-hash> with the actual hash of the commit you want to reset to.

   Warning: git reset --hard will remove any local changes you have that are not committed. Use it carefully to avoid losing work.

Summary

• git revert: Creates a new commit that undoes changes from a specific commit.

  git revert <commit-hash>

• git reset —hard: Resets the current branch to the specified commit, discarding all changes after that commit.

  git reset --hard <commit-hash>

Choose the method that best fits your situation. If you’re unsure, git revert is safer because it leaves a record of the undo operation in your commit history.