How to Undo Most Recent Local Git Commit

Git is a version control system that allows developers to track changes to their codebase and collaborate with others. One of the useful features of Git is the ability to revert changes that have been made to the codebase. In this article, we will look at how to undo the most recent local commits in Git.

There are several ways to undo commits in Git, and the method you choose will depend on your specific needs. Here are three common ways to undo commits in Git:

1. git reset The git reset command is used to undo commits by moving the current branch pointer to a previous commit. It has three options for where to move the pointer: --mixed (the default option), --soft, and --hard.

   • git reset --mixed HEAD~1: This will undo the most recent commit and move the changes made in that commit to the staging area. The HEAD~1 specifies the commit to be undone, where HEAD is the current commit and ~1 indicates the commit before the current commit.

   • git reset --soft HEAD~1: This will undo the most recent commit and move the changes made in that commit to the staging area, but it will not delete the changes. This is useful if you want to make additional changes before committing.

   • git reset --hard HEAD~1: This will undo the most recent commit and permanently delete the changes made in that commit. This option should be used with caution, as the changes cannot be recovered.

2. git revert The git revert command is used to undo commits by creating a new commit that undoes the changes made in a previous commit. It does not delete any commits, and the changes can be easily undone by reverting the revert commit. To undo the most recent commit using git revert, use the following command: git revert head

3. git cherry-pick The git cherry-pick command is used to apply the changes made in a specific commit to the current branch. It can be used to selectively undo commits by cherry-picking the commits that you do not want to include.

   To undo the most recent commit using git cherry-pick, use the following command: git cherry-pick HEAD~1. This will apply the changes made in the commit before the current commit (HEAD~1) to the current branch.