How to revert a file in Git

Reverting changes in Git enables you to undo modifications and return to a previous state without affecting the entire project. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of how to revert a file in Git, using various commands that can help you manage your project’s version history efficiently.

Understanding reverting in Git

Reverting in Git means to undo changes made to the files in your repository. It's useful for discarding unwanted modifications, correcting mistakes, or simply reviewing earlier versions of a file. The process involves using Git commands that manipulate the history or the working tree of your repository.

How to revert changes to a file in Git

1. Reverting uncommitted changes

If you've made changes to a file and have not yet committed them, you can revert these uncommitted changes using the git checkout command (for versions before Git 2.23) or the git restore command (for Git 2.23 and later).

Using git checkout:

git checkout -- <file_path>

Replace <file_path> with the path to the file you want to revert.

Using git restore:

git restore <file_path>

This command will restore the file to its state at the last commit, effectively discarding any changes made since then.

2. Reverting changes from a specific commit

If the changes were committed and you need to undo those changes, you can use the git revert command. This command is used to reverse the effects of a specific commit.

Identifying the commit:

First, identify the commit from which the changes to the file were introduced. Use the git log command to see the history:

git log -- <file_path>

Look for the commit hash of the specific change you want to revert.

Reverting the commit:

Once you have the commit hash, you can revert the changes made by that commit to the specified file using:

git revert --no-commit <commit_hash>
git reset HEAD
git add <file_path>
git commit -m "Revert changes in <file_path>"

This series of commands reverses the effects of the specified commit but does not automatically create a new commit. You manually add the changes and commit them, ensuring you only revert changes to the specific file.

3. Reverting to a specific version of a file

If you want to revert a file back to how it was in a specific commit, you can use the git checkout or git restore command with the commit hash.

Using git checkout:

git checkout <commit_hash> -- <file_path>

Using git restore:

git restore --source <commit_hash> <file_path>

After executing either of these commands, the file will revert to its state in the specified commit. You’ll need to commit this change if you want to keep it.

For more information, see this guide on using the git revert command.