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Git · Basic · question 18 of 100

What is the purpose of ’git revert’ and ’git reset’, and what are the differences between them?

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In Git, git revert and git reset are two commands that can be used to undo changes in a Git repository. However, they have different purposes and should be used in different situations.

git revert is used to undo a commit by creating a new commit that undoes the changes made in the original commit. When you run the git revert command, Git will create a new commit that contains the inverse of the changes made in the original commit.

Here’s an example of how to use the git revert command:

    # Undo the changes made in a specific commit
    git revert <commit-hash>

This command will create a new commit that undoes the changes made in the specified commit.

git reset, on the other hand, is used to undo changes by resetting the current branch to a previous commit. When you run the git reset command, Git will move the current branch pointer to the specified commit and discard any changes made after that commit.

Here’s an example of how to use the git reset command:

    # Undo the changes made after a specific commit
    git reset <commit-hash>

This command will move the current branch pointer to the specified commit and discard any changes made after that commit.

One key difference between git revert and git reset is that git revert creates a new commit that undoes the changes made in the original commit, while git reset discards the changes made after the specified commit.

Another difference is that git revert can be used to undo changes that have already been pushed to a remote repository, while git reset should not be used to undo changes that have been pushed to a remote repository, as it can cause problems for other developers who have pulled those changes.

In summary, git revert and git reset are two commands used to undo changes in a Git repository. git revert is used to create a new commit that undoes the changes made in a previous commit, while git reset is used to move the current branch pointer to a previous commit and discard any changes made after that commit. It is important to use these commands correctly to avoid causing problems for other developers or losing important changes.

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