Reset modes

In Git, the git reset command offers three primary modes (--soft, --mixed, and --hard) for resetting the state of the current branch to a specified commit. Each mode provides different levels of reset, affecting the commit history, index (i.e., staging area), and working tree (i.e., working directory) in varying degrees:

• Mixed (default) mode restores the state of a changed index.
• Soft mode undoes a previous commit.
• Hard mode removes all traces of a commit.

Here is a quick breakdown of each reset mode.

Git reset modes in detail

Here is a more detailed breakdown of each mode.

1. Soft Reset (--soft)
   • Effect: Moves the HEAD pointer to the specified commit while preserving changes in the staging area and working directory.
   • Usage: Useful when you want to undo a commit but keep the changes staged for the next commit.
   • Outcome: The commit is removed from the branch history, but the changes introduced by the commit remain staged. You can modify the staged changes and commit them again.
2. Mixed Reset (Default Behavior)
   • Effect: Resets the HEAD pointer to the specified commit and updates the staging area to match it, but does not affect the working directory.
   • Usage: Useful when you want to undo a commit and unstage its changes, allowing you to re-edit files before committing again.
   • Outcome: The commit is removed from the branch history, changes are unstaged (but not lost), and files revert to the state of the specified commit.
3. Hard Reset (--hard)
   • Effect: Resets the HEAD pointer to the specified commit, resets the staging area to match it, and reverts all changes in the working directory to match the specified commit.
   • Usage: Useful when you want to completely discard all changes introduced after a certain commit.
   • Outcome: The commit and all subsequent changes are removed from the branch history, staging area changes are discarded, and all files are reverted to the state of the specified commit.

Choosing the appropriate reset mode depends on whether you want to keep changes staged (--soft), unstage changes (--mixed), or discard changes entirely (--hard). Always use caution, especially with --hard, as it permanently removes changes and can lead to data loss if not used carefully.