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Git Reset

Git reset is a command that allows you to undo changes to a Git repository. I primarily use it on the following scenarios:

Scenario 1: Undoing a commit​

If you have committed a change to a Git repository, but you want to undo the commit, you can use the following command:

git reset --soft HEAD^

The --soft option allows you to undo the commit, but keep the changes in the staging area. If you want to undo the commit and the changes, you can use the --hard option instead:

git reset --hard HEAD^

What I often do is using reset my HEAD to 1 commit ahead without the --soft or --hard option:

git reset HEAD^

This will reset my HEAD to 1 commit ahead, but keep the changes in the staging area.

Furthermore, if you want to undo the last 2 commits, you can use the following command:

git reset --soft HEAD~2

It becomes extremely useful if you work with a team and you do not want to make too many commits. especially when you rebase your branch to the latest master which might cause a lot of conflicts.

Scenario 2: Undoing a staged change​

If you have staged a change to a Git repository, but you want to undo the change, you can use the following command:

git reset staged-file