How to git restore all

Table of Contents

• Understanding git restore
• Basic usage of git restore
• How to git restore all changes
• Specific restore scenarios
• Best practices and considerations
• Frequently asked questions

The git restore command, introduced in Git version 2.23, offers users the ability to revert changes in their working directory and staging area. This guide explores how to use the git restore command to manage different types of restoration scenarios, such as restoring all files, staged changes, and deleted files.

Understanding git restore

The git restore command is used to undo changes made to the working directory and staging area. It's a safer alternative to git reset for discarding changes because it's more explicit about what it affects and doesn't alter the commit history.

Basic usage of git restore

To start using git restore, you need to understand its basic syntax and options:

git restore [options] <paths>

• <paths>: Specifies the files or directories to restore.
• [options]: Includes various flags like --source, --staged, and --worktree to control the restore behavior.

How to git restore all changes

Restoring all changes in the working directory

To restore all changes in your working directory, run:

git restore .

This command reverts all modified and deleted files in the working directory to their last committed state, but does not affect the staging area (the holding zone for changes that are prepared to be committed to the repository).

Restoring all staged files

To unstage all files (i.e., restore the staging area to match the HEAD commit), use:

git restore --staged .

This command removes all changes from the staging area but leaves the working directory files as they were.

Combining restore actions

To restore all files in both the working directory and staging area, you can combine the commands:

git restore --source=HEAD --staged --worktree .

This will reset both the staging area and working directory for all files to their state in the last commit.

Specific restore scenarios

Restoring all deleted files

If you have deleted files that you want to restore:

git restore --source=HEAD <path_to_deleted_files>

You can specify individual files or use a pattern to include multiple files.

Restoring all modified files

To revert all modifications (but not deletions):

git restore --source=HEAD -- <path_to_modified_files>

This command only affects modified files, ignoring any files that have been added or deleted.

Best practices and considerations

• Check status first: Always use git status to review the changes you're about to restore, ensuring you do not unintentionally lose work.
• Selective restoration: Instead of restoring everything, consider restoring changes file by file or section by section, especially in complex projects.

The git restore command is a powerful tool for managing the current changes in your repository. It provides a flexible way to undo changes in your working directory and staging area, helping maintain a clean and organized code base.

For further reading see the official Git documentation.

Frequently asked questions

Can I undo a git restore command?

No, git restore permanently discards changes and cannot be undone. If you've already committed your changes, you can use git log to find the commit and restore from there, but uncommitted changes are lost forever.

What's the difference between git restore and git checkout?

git restore is a newer, more focused command specifically for restoring files. git checkout has multiple responsibilities including switching branches and restoring files. For file restoration, git restore is the recommended command since Git 2.23.0. For more Git workflow optimization, check out our guide on Leveling up your Git workflow with Graphite.

Can I restore multiple files at once?

Yes, you can specify multiple files: git restore file1.txt file2.txt file3.txt or use patterns like git restore *.txt to restore all text files.

Does git restore affect committed changes?

No, git restore only affects uncommitted changes in your working directory and staging area. It cannot modify the commit history or affect changes that have already been committed.

What happens if I run git restore on a new file?

If you run git restore on a new file that hasn't been committed yet, the file will be deleted from your working directory since it doesn't exist in the last commit.

Can I restore a file to a specific branch's state?

Yes, you can use git restore --source <branch-name> <file> to restore a file to its state in a different branch without switching to that branch.