Undoing: reset vs revert
Two Ways to Undo
Scenario: You committed something broken. Do you erase it, or neutralize it? The answer depends on whether you've pushed it yet - and getting this wrong is how people lose work or wreck a shared branch.
| Command | Effect | Use when |
|---|---|---|
git revert <commit> | Creates a new commit that undoes an old one | The commit is already pushed/shared |
git reset --soft <commit> | Moves branch back, keeps changes staged | Local, want to redo the commit |
git reset --mixed <commit> | Moves back, keeps changes unstaged (default) | Local, want to re-stage |
git reset --hard <commit> | Moves back, discards all changes | Local, truly want it gone |
$ git reset --soft HEAD~1 # undo last commit, keep the changes staged
$ git revert HEAD # safely undo a pushed commitDanger:git reset --hardpermanently discards uncommitted work and rewrites history. Neverreset --harda branch you've already pushed and others use - it breaks their history. On shared branches, alwaysrevert.
Tip:HEAD= the current commit.HEAD~1= one before it,HEAD~2= two before, and so on.