Git reset is a powerful command that allows you to undo changes in your Git repository. The git reset head command is used to unstage changes that you have previously staged in your Git repository. In other words, it removes changes from the staging area and returns them to the working directory. This is useful when you have made a mistake while staging changes or if you simply want to change your mind about what changes you want to commit. In this article, we'll cover the basics of the git reset head command and provide code examples to help you understand how it works.
Before we dive into the details of the git reset head command, it's important to understand the three different trees in a Git repository: the working directory, the staging area, and the Git repository.
The working directory is where you make changes to your files. These changes are not yet staged and will not be tracked by Git until you add them to the staging area.
The staging area is where you prepare changes to be committed to the Git repository. When you run the git add command, Git moves the changes from your working directory to the staging area. At this point, the changes are still not committed to the Git repository and can still be undone.
The Git repository is where all the committed changes are stored. Once changes are committed to the Git repository, they become a permanent part of your project's history and can no longer be undone.
Now that you understand the basics of the Git repository, let's take a look at the git reset head command. The git reset head command is used to unstage changes that have been added to the staging area but not yet committed to the Git repository. Here's the syntax for the command:
git reset head [file]
The [file] argument is optional and is used to unstage specific files. If you don't provide the [file] argument, git reset head will unstage all changes in the staging area.
Here's an example of how you might use git reset head in a real-world scenario. Let's say you've made some changes to a file in your working directory and you've run the git add command to stage those changes. Later, you realize that you made a mistake and you want to undo the changes you just staged. Here's how you would do that:
# Make changes to a file in your working directory
$ echo "new line" >> file.txt
# Stage the changes
$ git add file.txt
# Check the status of the Git repository to see that the changes are staged
$ git status
On branch master
Changes to be committed:
(use "git reset HEAD <file>..." to unstage)
modified: file.txt
# Unstage the changes
$ git reset head file.txt
# Check the status of the Git repository to see that the changes are no longer staged
$ git status
On branch master
Changes not staged for commit:
(use "git add <file>..." to update what will be committed)
(use "git restore <file>..." to discard changes in working directory)
modified: file.txt
As you can see from the example above, the git reset head command has successfully unstaged the changes in the file file.txt. The changes are now back in the working directory and can be staged again if necessary.
It's worth noting that the git reset head command does not undo changes to the files
The git reset command has several options that allow you to control the level of resetting you want to perform. The --soft option allows you to reset the head to a previous commit, but it retains the changes in the staging area. The --mixed option is the default option and resets both the head and the staging area to a previous commit, but retains the changes in the working directory. The --hard option resets both the head, the staging area, and the working directory to a previous commit, effectively discarding any changes made since that commit.
Here's an example of how you might use the --soft option:
# Check the current branch
$ git branch
* master
# Make some changes to a file in the working directory
$ echo "new line" >> file.txt
# Stage the changes
$ git add file.txt
# Commit the changes
$ git commit -m "added a new line to file.txt"
# Check the current branch
$ git log --oneline
b4eb336 (HEAD -> master) added a new line to file.txt
# Reset the head to the previous commit (--soft option)
$ git reset --soft HEAD~
# Check the status of the Git repository to see that the changes are still staged
$ git status
On branch master
Changes to be committed:
(use "git restore --staged <file>..." to unstage)
modified: file.txt
# Commit the changes again
$ git commit -m "added a new line to file.txt"
As you can see from the example above, the git reset --soft HEAD~ command has reset the head to the previous commit, but it has not unstaged the changes. This means that the changes are still in the staging area and can be committed again if necessary.
The --mixed option is the default option and it resets both the head and the staging area to a previous commit. Here's an example:
# Check the current branch
$ git branch
* master
# Make some changes to a file in the working directory
$ echo "new line" >> file.txt
# Stage the changes
$ git add file.txt
# Commit the changes
$ git commit -m "added a new line to file.txt"
# Check the current branch
$ git log --oneline
b4eb336 (HEAD -> master) added a new line to file.txt
# Reset the head and the staging area to the previous commit (--mixed option)
$ git reset HEAD~
# Check the status of the Git repository to see that the changes are no longer staged
$ git status
On branch master
Changes not staged for commit:
(use "git add <file>..." to update what will be committed)
(use "git restore <file>..." to discard changes in working directory)
modified: file.txt
As you can see from the example above, the git reset HEAD~ command has reset both the head and the staging area to the previous commit. The changes are now back in the working directory and can be staged and committed again if necessary.
Finally, the --hard option resets both the head, the staging area, and the working directory to a previous commit. This effectively discards any changes made since that commit. Here's an example:
# Check the current
## Popular questions
1. What is the purpose of the `git reset` command?
The `git reset` command is used to reset the head, the staging area, and/or the working directory to a previous commit. This allows you to undo changes made to your Git repository and start fresh from a previous commit.
2. What is the difference between `git reset --soft`, `git reset --mixed`, and `git reset --hard`?
The `--soft` option resets the head to a previous commit, but it retains the changes in the staging area. The `--mixed` option, which is the default, resets both the head and the staging area to a previous commit, but retains the changes in the working directory. The `--hard` option resets both the head, the staging area, and the working directory to a previous commit, effectively discarding any changes made since that commit.
3. How do I use `git reset` to reset the head to a previous commit?
To reset the head to a previous commit, use the `git reset` command followed by the commit hash or reference, such as `HEAD~` for the previous commit. For example, to reset the head to the previous commit using the `--soft` option, use the following command: `git reset --soft HEAD~`.
4. How do I use `git reset` to reset the staging area to a previous commit?
To reset the staging area to a previous commit, use the `git reset` command followed by the commit hash or reference, such as `HEAD~`, and the `--mixed` option. For example, to reset the staging area to the previous commit using the `--mixed` option, use the following command: `git reset --mixed HEAD~`.
5. How do I use `git reset` to discard changes made since a previous commit?
To discard changes made since a previous commit, use the `git reset` command followed by the commit hash or reference, such as `HEAD~`, and the `--hard` option. For example, to discard changes made since the previous commit using the `--hard` option, use the following command: `git reset --hard HEAD~`.
### Tag
Git-Reset
