Throughout development, we will make mistakes. Fortunately, Git offers various tools to undo changes and fix errors. In this chapter, we will explore how to undo modifications in files, revert commits, and restore a project's state to previous versions. By the end of this chapter, you'll know how to handle complex situations and maintain control over your repository's history.

Undoing Changes in Uncommitted Files

When you make changes to files but haven't yet added them to the staging area, you can easily undo those changes and restore the files to their original state.

To restore a modified file without adding it to the staging area, use the command:

bash

If you have already added the file to the staging area but want to undo that action, you can use:

bash

Reverting Commits

Sometimes, a commit contains errors or unwanted changes. Git offers two main ways to handle this situation: git reset and git revert.

Git Reset

The command git reset allows you to move your branch pointer to a previous commit, removing subsequent commits in the process. This is useful when you want to "erase" recent commits and return to a previous state.

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If you don't want to lose the changes, you can use the --soft option, which preserves the modified files in your working directory:

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Git Revert

Unlike git reset, the command git revert does not delete commits. Instead, it creates a new commit that "reverts" the changes made in a previous commit. This is useful when you need to maintain the change history but want to undo a specific commit.

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Recovering Deleted Commits

If you accidentally deleted commits using git reset, you can recover them using the git reflog command. This command tracks all recent actions performed in the repository, allowing you to restore deleted commits.

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Once you find the commit you want to recover, you can use git reset or git checkout to restore it.

Using Git Stash to Save Temporary Changes

If you are working on changes but need to switch context or branch quickly, you can temporarily "stash" those changes using git stash. This saves your modifications without committing, allowing you to retrieve them later.

To save the current changes:

bash

To retrieve the stashed changes:

bash

You can view the list of all saved stashes using:

bash

Conclusion

In this chapter, we have learned how to undo changes in Git, from reverting modifications in individual files to recovering deleted commits. With these tools, you can handle errors without fear, knowing you can always return to a previous state. In the next chapter, we will explore how to work with tags in Git and how to use them to mark important versions in a project's history.