Reverting commits in Git

Have you ever made a mistake while committing changes to your Git repository? Fear not, the git revert command is here to save the day.

What is git revert?

git revert is a Git command that allows you to reverse a commit by creating a new commit that undoes the changes made in the original commit. This is different from git reset, which removes the commit entirely and can cause issues if you've already pushed the changes to a remote repository.

How to use git revert?

To use git revert, you'll first need to identify the commit you want to revert. You can do this by using git log to view the commit history:

$ git log

Once you've identified the commit you want to revert, use the git revert command followed by the commit hash:

$ git revert <commit-hash>

This will open up the default Git editor where you can write a commit message that describes the changes made in the new revert commit. Once you save and exit the editor, Git will create a new commit that undoes the changes made in the original commit.

Handling merge conflicts

In some cases, you may encounter merge conflicts when attempting to revert a commit. This happens when the changes made in the original commit overlap with changes made in subsequent commits. To resolve the conflict, simply edit the file to remove the conflicting changes, save the file, and then use git add to stage the file and continue with the revert:

$ git add <file>
$ git revert --continue

Conclusion

git revert is a powerful tool that allows you to undo changes made in previous commits without causing issues with your Git repository. Remember to always use this command when you need to revert changes, and use git reset with caution.