Documentation/git-reset.txt - jrn/git - Git at Google

 git-reset(1)
 ============

 NAME
 ----
 git-reset - Reset current HEAD to the specified state

 SYNOPSIS
 --------
 [verse]
 'git reset' [-q] [<tree-ish>] [--] <paths>...
 'git reset' (--patch | -p) [<tree-ish>] [--] [<paths>...]
 'git reset' [--soft | --mixed [-N] | --hard | --merge | --keep] [-q] [<commit>]

 DESCRIPTION
 -----------
 In the first and second form, copy entries from `<tree-ish>` to the index.
 In the third form, set the current branch head (`HEAD`) to `<commit>`,
 optionally modifying index and working tree to match.
 The `<tree-ish>`/`<commit>` defaults to `HEAD` in all forms.

 'git reset' [-q] [<tree-ish>] [--] <paths>...::
 	This form resets the index entries for all `<paths>` to their
 	state at `<tree-ish>`.  (It does not affect the working tree or
 	the current branch.)
 +
 This means that `git reset <paths>` is the opposite of `git add
 <paths>`.
 +
 After running `git reset <paths>` to update the index entry, you can
 use linkgit:git-checkout[1] to check the contents out of the index to
 the working tree.
 Alternatively, using linkgit:git-checkout[1] and specifying a commit, you
 can copy the contents of a path out of a commit to the index and to the
 working tree in one go.

 'git reset' (--patch | -p) [<tree-ish>] [--] [<paths>...]::
 	Interactively select hunks in the difference between the index
 	and `<tree-ish>` (defaults to `HEAD`).  The chosen hunks are applied
 	in reverse to the index.
 +
 This means that `git reset -p` is the opposite of `git add -p`, i.e.
 you can use it to selectively reset hunks. See the ``Interactive Mode''
 section of linkgit:git-add[1] to learn how to operate the `--patch` mode.

 'git reset' [<mode>] [<commit>]::
 	This form resets the current branch head to `<commit>` and
 	possibly updates the index (resetting it to the tree of `<commit>`) and
 	the working tree depending on `<mode>`. If `<mode>` is omitted,
 	defaults to `--mixed`. The `<mode>` must be one of the following:
 +
 --
 --soft::
 	Does not touch the index file or the working tree at all (but
 	resets the head to `<commit>`, just like all modes do). This leaves
 	all your changed files "Changes to be committed", as `git status`
 	would put it.

 --mixed::
 	Resets the index but not the working tree (i.e., the changed files
 	are preserved but not marked for commit) and reports what has not
 	been updated. This is the default action.
 +
 If `-N` is specified, removed paths are marked as intent-to-add (see
 linkgit:git-add[1]).

 --hard::
 	Resets the index and working tree. Any changes to tracked files in the
 	working tree since `<commit>` are discarded.

 --merge::
 	Resets the index and updates the files in the working tree that are
 	different between `<commit>` and `HEAD`, but keeps those which are
 	different between the index and working tree (i.e. which have changes
 	which have not been added).
 	If a file that is different between `<commit>` and the index has
 	unstaged changes, reset is aborted.
 +
 In other words, `--merge` does something like a `git read-tree -u -m <commit>`,
 but carries forward unmerged index entries.

 --keep::
 	Resets index entries and updates files in the working tree that are
 	different between `<commit>` and `HEAD`.
 	If a file that is different between `<commit>` and `HEAD` has local
 	changes, reset is aborted.
 --

 If you want to undo a commit other than the latest on a branch,
 linkgit:git-revert[1] is your friend.


 OPTIONS
 -------

 -q::
 --quiet::
 --no-quiet::
 	Be quiet, only report errors. The default behavior is set by the
 	`reset.quiet` config option. `--quiet` and `--no-quiet` will
 	override the default behavior.


 EXAMPLES
 --------

 Undo add::
 +
 ------------
 $ edit                                     <1>
 $ git add frotz.c filfre.c
 $ mailx                                    <2>
 $ git reset                                <3>
 $ git pull git://info.example.com/ nitfol  <4>
 ------------
 +
 <1> You are happily working on something, and find the changes
     in these files are in good order.  You do not want to see them
     when you run `git diff`, because you plan to work on other files
     and changes with these files are distracting.
 <2> Somebody asks you to pull, and the changes sound worthy of merging.
 <3> However, you already dirtied the index (i.e. your index does
     not match the `HEAD` commit).  But you know the pull you are going
     to make does not affect `frotz.c` or `filfre.c`, so you revert the
     index changes for these two files.  Your changes in working tree
     remain there.
 <4> Then you can pull and merge, leaving `frotz.c` and `filfre.c`
     changes still in the working tree.

 Undo a commit and redo::
 +
 ------------
 $ git commit ...
 $ git reset --soft HEAD^      <1>
 $ edit                        <2>
 $ git commit -a -c ORIG_HEAD  <3>
 ------------
 +
 <1> This is most often done when you remembered what you
     just committed is incomplete, or you misspelled your commit
     message, or both.  Leaves working tree as it was before "reset".
 <2> Make corrections to working tree files.
 <3> "reset" copies the old head to `.git/ORIG_HEAD`; redo the
     commit by starting with its log message.  If you do not need to
     edit the message further, you can give `-C` option instead.
 +
 See also the `--amend` option to linkgit:git-commit[1].

 Undo a commit, making it a topic branch::
 +
 ------------
 $ git branch topic/wip     <1>
 $ git reset --hard HEAD~3  <2>
 $ git checkout topic/wip   <3>
 ------------
 +
 <1> You have made some commits, but realize they were premature
     to be in the `master` branch.  You want to continue polishing
     them in a topic branch, so create `topic/wip` branch off of the
     current `HEAD`.
 <2> Rewind the master branch to get rid of those three commits.
 <3> Switch to `topic/wip` branch and keep working.

 Undo commits permanently::
 +
 ------------
 $ git commit ...
 $ git reset --hard HEAD~3   <1>
 ------------
 +
 <1> The last three commits (`HEAD`, `HEAD^`, and `HEAD~2`) were bad
     and you do not want to ever see them again.  Do *not* do this if
     you have already given these commits to somebody else.  (See the
     "RECOVERING FROM UPSTREAM REBASE" section in linkgit:git-rebase[1]
     for the implications of doing so.)

 Undo a merge or pull::
 +
 ------------
 $ git pull                         <1>
 Auto-merging nitfol
 CONFLICT (content): Merge conflict in nitfol
 Automatic merge failed; fix conflicts and then commit the result.
 $ git reset --hard                 <2>
 $ git pull . topic/branch          <3>
 Updating from 41223... to 13134...
 Fast-forward
 $ git reset --hard ORIG_HEAD       <4>
 ------------
 +
 <1> Try to update from the upstream resulted in a lot of
     conflicts; you were not ready to spend a lot of time merging
     right now, so you decide to do that later.
 <2> "pull" has not made merge commit, so `git reset --hard`
     which is a synonym for `git reset --hard HEAD` clears the mess
     from the index file and the working tree.
 <3> Merge a topic branch into the current branch, which resulted
     in a fast-forward.
 <4> But you decided that the topic branch is not ready for public
     consumption yet.  "pull" or "merge" always leaves the original
     tip of the current branch in `ORIG_HEAD`, so resetting hard to it
     brings your index file and the working tree back to that state,
     and resets the tip of the branch to that commit.

 Undo a merge or pull inside a dirty working tree::
 +
 ------------
 $ git pull                         <1>
 Auto-merging nitfol
 Merge made by recursive.
  nitfol                |   20 +++++----
  ...
 $ git reset --merge ORIG_HEAD      <2>
 ------------
 +
 <1> Even if you may have local modifications in your
     working tree, you can safely say `git pull` when you know
     that the change in the other branch does not overlap with
     them.
 <2> After inspecting the result of the merge, you may find
     that the change in the other branch is unsatisfactory.  Running
     `git reset --hard ORIG_HEAD` will let you go back to where you
     were, but it will discard your local changes, which you do not
     want.  `git reset --merge` keeps your local changes.


 Interrupted workflow::
 +
 Suppose you are interrupted by an urgent fix request while you
 are in the middle of a large change.  The files in your
 working tree are not in any shape to be committed yet, but you
 need to get to the other branch for a quick bugfix.
 +
 ------------
 $ git checkout feature ;# you were working in "feature" branch and
 $ work work work       ;# got interrupted
 $ git commit -a -m "snapshot WIP"                 <1>
 $ git checkout master
 $ fix fix fix
 $ git commit ;# commit with real log
 $ git checkout feature
 $ git reset --soft HEAD^ ;# go back to WIP state  <2>
 $ git reset                                       <3>
 ------------
 +
 <1> This commit will get blown away so a throw-away log message is OK.
 <2> This removes the 'WIP' commit from the commit history, and sets
     your working tree to the state just before you made that snapshot.
 <3> At this point the index file still has all the WIP changes you
     committed as 'snapshot WIP'.  This updates the index to show your
     WIP files as uncommitted.
 +
 See also linkgit:git-stash[1].

 Reset a single file in the index::
 +
 Suppose you have added a file to your index, but later decide you do not
 want to add it to your commit. You can remove the file from the index
 while keeping your changes with git reset.
 +
 ------------
 $ git reset -- frotz.c                      <1>
 $ git commit -m "Commit files in index"     <2>
 $ git add frotz.c                           <3>
 ------------
 +
 <1> This removes the file from the index while keeping it in the working
     directory.
 <2> This commits all other changes in the index.
 <3> Adds the file to the index again.

 Keep changes in working tree while discarding some previous commits::
 +
 Suppose you are working on something and you commit it, and then you
 continue working a bit more, but now you think that what you have in
 your working tree should be in another branch that has nothing to do
 with what you committed previously. You can start a new branch and
 reset it while keeping the changes in your working tree.
 +
 ------------
 $ git tag start
 $ git checkout -b branch1
 $ edit
 $ git commit ...                            <1>
 $ edit
 $ git checkout -b branch2                   <2>
 $ git reset --keep start                    <3>
 ------------
 +
 <1> This commits your first edits in `branch1`.
 <2> In the ideal world, you could have realized that the earlier
     commit did not belong to the new topic when you created and switched
     to `branch2` (i.e. `git checkout -b branch2 start`), but nobody is
     perfect.
 <3> But you can use `reset --keep` to remove the unwanted commit after
     you switched to `branch2`.

 Split a commit apart into a sequence of commits::
 +
 Suppose that you have created lots of logically separate changes and committed
 them together. Then, later you decide that it might be better to have each
 logical chunk associated with its own commit. You can use git reset to rewind
 history without changing the contents of your local files, and then successively
 use `git add -p` to interactively select which hunks to include into each commit,
 using `git commit -c` to pre-populate the commit message.
 +
 ------------
 $ git reset -N HEAD^                        <1>
 $ git add -p                                <2>
 $ git diff --cached                         <3>
 $ git commit -c HEAD@{1}                    <4>
 ...                                         <5>
 $ git add ...                               <6>
 $ git diff --cached                         <7>
 $ git commit ...                            <8>
 ------------
 +
 <1> First, reset the history back one commit so that we remove the original
     commit, but leave the working tree with all the changes. The -N ensures
     that any new files added with `HEAD` are still marked so that `git add -p`
     will find them.
 <2> Next, we interactively select diff hunks to add using the `git add -p`
     facility. This will ask you about each diff hunk in sequence and you can
     use simple commands such as "yes, include this", "No don't include this"
     or even the very powerful "edit" facility.
 <3> Once satisfied with the hunks you want to include, you should verify what
     has been prepared for the first commit by using `git diff --cached`. This
     shows all the changes that have been moved into the index and are about
     to be committed.
 <4> Next, commit the changes stored in the index. The `-c` option specifies to
     pre-populate the commit message from the original message that you started
     with in the first commit. This is helpful to avoid retyping it. The
     `HEAD@{1}` is a special notation for the commit that `HEAD` used to be at
     prior to the original reset commit (1 change ago).
     See linkgit:git-reflog[1] for more details. You may also use any other
     valid commit reference.
 <5> You can repeat steps 2-4 multiple times to break the original code into
     any number of commits.
 <6> Now you've split out many of the changes into their own commits, and might
     no longer use the patch mode of `git add`, in order to select all remaining
     uncommitted changes.
 <7> Once again, check to verify that you've included what you want to. You may
     also wish to verify that git diff doesn't show any remaining changes to be
     committed later.
 <8> And finally create the final commit.


 DISCUSSION
 ----------

 The tables below show what happens when running:

 ----------
 git reset --option target
 ----------

 to reset the `HEAD` to another commit (`target`) with the different
 reset options depending on the state of the files.

 In these tables, `A`, `B`, `C` and `D` are some different states of a
 file. For example, the first line of the first table means that if a
 file is in state `A` in the working tree, in state `B` in the index, in
 state `C` in `HEAD` and in state `D` in the target, then `git reset --soft
 target` will leave the file in the working tree in state `A` and in the
 index in state `B`.  It resets (i.e. moves) the `HEAD` (i.e. the tip of
 the current branch, if you are on one) to `target` (which has the file
 in state `D`).

 ....
 working index HEAD target         working index HEAD
 ----------------------------------------------------
  A       B     C    D     --soft   A       B     D
 			  --mixed  A       D     D
 			  --hard   D       D     D
 			  --merge (disallowed)
 			  --keep  (disallowed)
 ....

 ....
 working index HEAD target         working index HEAD
 ----------------------------------------------------
  A       B     C    C     --soft   A       B     C
 			  --mixed  A       C     C
 			  --hard   C       C     C
 			  --merge (disallowed)
 			  --keep   A       C     C
 ....

 ....
 working index HEAD target         working index HEAD
 ----------------------------------------------------
  B       B     C    D     --soft   B       B     D
 			  --mixed  B       D     D
 			  --hard   D       D     D
 			  --merge  D       D     D
 			  --keep  (disallowed)
 ....

 ....
 working index HEAD target         working index HEAD
 ----------------------------------------------------
  B       B     C    C     --soft   B       B     C
 			  --mixed  B       C     C
 			  --hard   C       C     C
 			  --merge  C       C     C
 			  --keep   B       C     C
 ....

 ....
 working index HEAD target         working index HEAD
 ----------------------------------------------------
  B       C     C    D     --soft   B       C     D
 			  --mixed  B       D     D
 			  --hard   D       D     D
 			  --merge (disallowed)
 			  --keep  (disallowed)
 ....

 ....
 working index HEAD target         working index HEAD
 ----------------------------------------------------
  B       C     C    C     --soft   B       C     C
 			  --mixed  B       C     C
 			  --hard   C       C     C
 			  --merge  B       C     C
 			  --keep   B       C     C
 ....

 `reset --merge` is meant to be used when resetting out of a conflicted
 merge. Any mergy operation guarantees that the working tree file that is
 involved in the merge does not have local change wrt the index before
 it starts, and that it writes the result out to the working tree. So if
 we see some difference between the index and the target and also
 between the index and the working tree, then it means that we are not
 resetting out from a state that a mergy operation left after failing
 with a conflict. That is why we disallow `--merge` option in this case.

 `reset --keep` is meant to be used when removing some of the last
 commits in the current branch while keeping changes in the working
 tree. If there could be conflicts between the changes in the commit we
 want to remove and the changes in the working tree we want to keep,
 the reset is disallowed. That's why it is disallowed if there are both
 changes between the working tree and `HEAD`, and between `HEAD` and the
 target. To be safe, it is also disallowed when there are unmerged
 entries.

 The following tables show what happens when there are unmerged
 entries:

 ....
 working index HEAD target         working index HEAD
 ----------------------------------------------------
  X       U     A    B     --soft  (disallowed)
 			  --mixed  X       B     B
 			  --hard   B       B     B
 			  --merge  B       B     B
 			  --keep  (disallowed)
 ....

 ....
 working index HEAD target         working index HEAD
 ----------------------------------------------------
  X       U     A    A     --soft  (disallowed)
 			  --mixed  X       A     A
 			  --hard   A       A     A
 			  --merge  A       A     A
 			  --keep  (disallowed)
 ....

 `X` means any state and `U` means an unmerged index.

 GIT
 ---
 Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite
	git-reset(1)
	============

	NAME
	----
	git-reset - Reset current HEAD to the specified state

	SYNOPSIS
	--------
	[verse]
	'git reset' [-q] [<tree-ish>] [--] <paths>...
	'git reset' (--patch \| -p) [<tree-ish>] [--] [<paths>...]
	'git reset' [--soft \| --mixed [-N] \| --hard \| --merge \| --keep] [-q] [<commit>]

	DESCRIPTION
	-----------
	In the first and second form, copy entries from `<tree-ish>` to the index.
	In the third form, set the current branch head (`HEAD`) to `<commit>`,
	optionally modifying index and working tree to match.
	The `<tree-ish>`/`<commit>` defaults to `HEAD` in all forms.

	'git reset' [-q] [<tree-ish>] [--] <paths>...::
	This form resets the index entries for all `<paths>` to their
	state at `<tree-ish>`. (It does not affect the working tree or
	the current branch.)
	+
	This means that `git reset <paths>` is the opposite of `git add
	<paths>`.
	+
	After running `git reset <paths>` to update the index entry, you can
	use linkgit:git-checkout[1] to check the contents out of the index to
	the working tree.
	Alternatively, using linkgit:git-checkout[1] and specifying a commit, you
	can copy the contents of a path out of a commit to the index and to the
	working tree in one go.

	'git reset' (--patch \| -p) [<tree-ish>] [--] [<paths>...]::
	Interactively select hunks in the difference between the index
	and `<tree-ish>` (defaults to `HEAD`). The chosen hunks are applied
	in reverse to the index.
	+
	This means that `git reset -p` is the opposite of `git add -p`, i.e.
	you can use it to selectively reset hunks. See the ``Interactive Mode''
	section of linkgit:git-add[1] to learn how to operate the `--patch` mode.

	'git reset' [<mode>] [<commit>]::
	This form resets the current branch head to `<commit>` and
	possibly updates the index (resetting it to the tree of `<commit>`) and
	the working tree depending on `<mode>`. If `<mode>` is omitted,
	defaults to `--mixed`. The `<mode>` must be one of the following:
	+
	--
	--soft::
	Does not touch the index file or the working tree at all (but
	resets the head to `<commit>`, just like all modes do). This leaves
	all your changed files "Changes to be committed", as `git status`
	would put it.

	--mixed::
	Resets the index but not the working tree (i.e., the changed files
	are preserved but not marked for commit) and reports what has not
	been updated. This is the default action.
	+
	If `-N` is specified, removed paths are marked as intent-to-add (see
	linkgit:git-add[1]).

	--hard::
	Resets the index and working tree. Any changes to tracked files in the
	working tree since `<commit>` are discarded.

	--merge::
	Resets the index and updates the files in the working tree that are
	different between `<commit>` and `HEAD`, but keeps those which are
	different between the index and working tree (i.e. which have changes
	which have not been added).
	If a file that is different between `<commit>` and the index has
	unstaged changes, reset is aborted.
	+
	In other words, `--merge` does something like a `git read-tree -u -m <commit>`,
	but carries forward unmerged index entries.

	--keep::
	Resets index entries and updates files in the working tree that are
	different between `<commit>` and `HEAD`.
	If a file that is different between `<commit>` and `HEAD` has local
	changes, reset is aborted.
	--

	If you want to undo a commit other than the latest on a branch,
	linkgit:git-revert[1] is your friend.


	OPTIONS
	-------

	-q::
	--quiet::
	--no-quiet::
	Be quiet, only report errors. The default behavior is set by the
	`reset.quiet` config option. `--quiet` and `--no-quiet` will
	override the default behavior.


	EXAMPLES
	--------

	Undo add::
	+
	------------
	$ edit <1>
	$ git add frotz.c filfre.c
	$ mailx <2>
	$ git reset <3>
	$ git pull git://info.example.com/ nitfol <4>
	------------
	+
	<1> You are happily working on something, and find the changes
	in these files are in good order. You do not want to see them
	when you run `git diff`, because you plan to work on other files
	and changes with these files are distracting.
	<2> Somebody asks you to pull, and the changes sound worthy of merging.
	<3> However, you already dirtied the index (i.e. your index does
	not match the `HEAD` commit). But you know the pull you are going
	to make does not affect `frotz.c` or `filfre.c`, so you revert the
	index changes for these two files. Your changes in working tree
	remain there.
	<4> Then you can pull and merge, leaving `frotz.c` and `filfre.c`
	changes still in the working tree.

	Undo a commit and redo::
	+
	------------
	$ git commit ...
	$ git reset --soft HEAD^ <1>
	$ edit <2>
	$ git commit -a -c ORIG_HEAD <3>
	------------
	+
	<1> This is most often done when you remembered what you
	just committed is incomplete, or you misspelled your commit
	message, or both. Leaves working tree as it was before "reset".
	<2> Make corrections to working tree files.
	<3> "reset" copies the old head to `.git/ORIG_HEAD`; redo the
	commit by starting with its log message. If you do not need to
	edit the message further, you can give `-C` option instead.
	+
	See also the `--amend` option to linkgit:git-commit[1].

	Undo a commit, making it a topic branch::
	+
	------------
	$ git branch topic/wip <1>
	$ git reset --hard HEAD~3 <2>
	$ git checkout topic/wip <3>
	------------
	+
	<1> You have made some commits, but realize they were premature
	to be in the `master` branch. You want to continue polishing
	them in a topic branch, so create `topic/wip` branch off of the
	current `HEAD`.
	<2> Rewind the master branch to get rid of those three commits.
	<3> Switch to `topic/wip` branch and keep working.

	Undo commits permanently::
	+
	------------
	$ git commit ...
	$ git reset --hard HEAD~3 <1>
	------------
	+
	<1> The last three commits (`HEAD`, `HEAD^`, and `HEAD~2`) were bad
	and you do not want to ever see them again. Do not do this if
	you have already given these commits to somebody else. (See the
	"RECOVERING FROM UPSTREAM REBASE" section in linkgit:git-rebase[1]
	for the implications of doing so.)

	Undo a merge or pull::
	+
	------------
	$ git pull <1>
	Auto-merging nitfol
	CONFLICT (content): Merge conflict in nitfol
	Automatic merge failed; fix conflicts and then commit the result.
	$ git reset --hard <2>
	$ git pull . topic/branch <3>
	Updating from 41223... to 13134...
	Fast-forward
	$ git reset --hard ORIG_HEAD <4>
	------------
	+
	<1> Try to update from the upstream resulted in a lot of
	conflicts; you were not ready to spend a lot of time merging
	right now, so you decide to do that later.
	<2> "pull" has not made merge commit, so `git reset --hard`
	which is a synonym for `git reset --hard HEAD` clears the mess
	from the index file and the working tree.
	<3> Merge a topic branch into the current branch, which resulted
	in a fast-forward.
	<4> But you decided that the topic branch is not ready for public
	consumption yet. "pull" or "merge" always leaves the original
	tip of the current branch in `ORIG_HEAD`, so resetting hard to it
	brings your index file and the working tree back to that state,
	and resets the tip of the branch to that commit.

	Undo a merge or pull inside a dirty working tree::
	+
	------------
	$ git pull <1>
	Auto-merging nitfol
	Merge made by recursive.
	nitfol \| 20 +++++----
	...
	$ git reset --merge ORIG_HEAD <2>
	------------
	+
	<1> Even if you may have local modifications in your
	working tree, you can safely say `git pull` when you know
	that the change in the other branch does not overlap with
	them.
	<2> After inspecting the result of the merge, you may find
	that the change in the other branch is unsatisfactory. Running
	`git reset --hard ORIG_HEAD` will let you go back to where you
	were, but it will discard your local changes, which you do not
	want. `git reset --merge` keeps your local changes.


	Interrupted workflow::
	+
	Suppose you are interrupted by an urgent fix request while you
	are in the middle of a large change. The files in your
	working tree are not in any shape to be committed yet, but you
	need to get to the other branch for a quick bugfix.
	+
	------------
	$ git checkout feature ;# you were working in "feature" branch and
	$ work work work ;# got interrupted
	$ git commit -a -m "snapshot WIP" <1>
	$ git checkout master
	$ fix fix fix
	$ git commit ;# commit with real log
	$ git checkout feature
	$ git reset --soft HEAD^ ;# go back to WIP state <2>
	$ git reset <3>
	------------
	+
	<1> This commit will get blown away so a throw-away log message is OK.
	<2> This removes the 'WIP' commit from the commit history, and sets
	your working tree to the state just before you made that snapshot.
	<3> At this point the index file still has all the WIP changes you
	committed as 'snapshot WIP'. This updates the index to show your
	WIP files as uncommitted.
	+
	See also linkgit:git-stash[1].

	Reset a single file in the index::
	+
	Suppose you have added a file to your index, but later decide you do not
	want to add it to your commit. You can remove the file from the index
	while keeping your changes with git reset.
	+
	------------
	$ git reset -- frotz.c <1>
	$ git commit -m "Commit files in index" <2>
	$ git add frotz.c <3>
	------------
	+
	<1> This removes the file from the index while keeping it in the working
	directory.
	<2> This commits all other changes in the index.
	<3> Adds the file to the index again.

	Keep changes in working tree while discarding some previous commits::
	+
	Suppose you are working on something and you commit it, and then you
	continue working a bit more, but now you think that what you have in
	your working tree should be in another branch that has nothing to do
	with what you committed previously. You can start a new branch and
	reset it while keeping the changes in your working tree.
	+
	------------
	$ git tag start
	$ git checkout -b branch1
	$ edit
	$ git commit ... <1>
	$ edit
	$ git checkout -b branch2 <2>
	$ git reset --keep start <3>
	------------
	+
	<1> This commits your first edits in `branch1`.
	<2> In the ideal world, you could have realized that the earlier
	commit did not belong to the new topic when you created and switched
	to `branch2` (i.e. `git checkout -b branch2 start`), but nobody is
	perfect.
	<3> But you can use `reset --keep` to remove the unwanted commit after
	you switched to `branch2`.

	Split a commit apart into a sequence of commits::
	+
	Suppose that you have created lots of logically separate changes and committed
	them together. Then, later you decide that it might be better to have each
	logical chunk associated with its own commit. You can use git reset to rewind
	history without changing the contents of your local files, and then successively
	use `git add -p` to interactively select which hunks to include into each commit,
	using `git commit -c` to pre-populate the commit message.
	+
	------------
	$ git reset -N HEAD^ <1>
	$ git add -p <2>
	$ git diff --cached <3>
	$ git commit -c HEAD@{1} <4>
	... <5>
	$ git add ... <6>
	$ git diff --cached <7>
	$ git commit ... <8>
	------------
	+
	<1> First, reset the history back one commit so that we remove the original
	commit, but leave the working tree with all the changes. The -N ensures
	that any new files added with `HEAD` are still marked so that `git add -p`
	will find them.
	<2> Next, we interactively select diff hunks to add using the `git add -p`
	facility. This will ask you about each diff hunk in sequence and you can
	use simple commands such as "yes, include this", "No don't include this"
	or even the very powerful "edit" facility.
	<3> Once satisfied with the hunks you want to include, you should verify what
	has been prepared for the first commit by using `git diff --cached`. This
	shows all the changes that have been moved into the index and are about
	to be committed.
	<4> Next, commit the changes stored in the index. The `-c` option specifies to
	pre-populate the commit message from the original message that you started
	with in the first commit. This is helpful to avoid retyping it. The
	`HEAD@{1}` is a special notation for the commit that `HEAD` used to be at
	prior to the original reset commit (1 change ago).
	See linkgit:git-reflog[1] for more details. You may also use any other
	valid commit reference.
	<5> You can repeat steps 2-4 multiple times to break the original code into
	any number of commits.
	<6> Now you've split out many of the changes into their own commits, and might
	no longer use the patch mode of `git add`, in order to select all remaining
	uncommitted changes.
	<7> Once again, check to verify that you've included what you want to. You may
	also wish to verify that git diff doesn't show any remaining changes to be
	committed later.
	<8> And finally create the final commit.


	DISCUSSION
	----------

	The tables below show what happens when running:

	----------
	git reset --option target
	----------

	to reset the `HEAD` to another commit (`target`) with the different
	reset options depending on the state of the files.

	In these tables, `A`, `B`, `C` and `D` are some different states of a
	file. For example, the first line of the first table means that if a
	file is in state `A` in the working tree, in state `B` in the index, in
	state `C` in `HEAD` and in state `D` in the target, then `git reset --soft
	target` will leave the file in the working tree in state `A` and in the
	index in state `B`. It resets (i.e. moves) the `HEAD` (i.e. the tip of
	the current branch, if you are on one) to `target` (which has the file
	in state `D`).

	....
	working index HEAD target working index HEAD
	----------------------------------------------------
	A B C D --soft A B D
	--mixed A D D
	--hard D D D
	--merge (disallowed)
	--keep (disallowed)
	....

	....
	working index HEAD target working index HEAD
	----------------------------------------------------
	A B C C --soft A B C
	--mixed A C C
	--hard C C C
	--merge (disallowed)
	--keep A C C
	....

	....
	working index HEAD target working index HEAD
	----------------------------------------------------
	B B C D --soft B B D
	--mixed B D D
	--hard D D D
	--merge D D D
	--keep (disallowed)
	....

	....
	working index HEAD target working index HEAD
	----------------------------------------------------
	B B C C --soft B B C
	--mixed B C C
	--hard C C C
	--merge C C C
	--keep B C C
	....

	....
	working index HEAD target working index HEAD
	----------------------------------------------------
	B C C D --soft B C D
	--mixed B D D
	--hard D D D
	--merge (disallowed)
	--keep (disallowed)
	....

	....
	working index HEAD target working index HEAD
	----------------------------------------------------
	B C C C --soft B C C
	--mixed B C C
	--hard C C C
	--merge B C C
	--keep B C C
	....

	`reset --merge` is meant to be used when resetting out of a conflicted
	merge. Any mergy operation guarantees that the working tree file that is
	involved in the merge does not have local change wrt the index before
	it starts, and that it writes the result out to the working tree. So if
	we see some difference between the index and the target and also
	between the index and the working tree, then it means that we are not
	resetting out from a state that a mergy operation left after failing
	with a conflict. That is why we disallow `--merge` option in this case.

	`reset --keep` is meant to be used when removing some of the last
	commits in the current branch while keeping changes in the working
	tree. If there could be conflicts between the changes in the commit we
	want to remove and the changes in the working tree we want to keep,
	the reset is disallowed. That's why it is disallowed if there are both
	changes between the working tree and `HEAD`, and between `HEAD` and the
	target. To be safe, it is also disallowed when there are unmerged
	entries.

	The following tables show what happens when there are unmerged
	entries:

	....
	working index HEAD target working index HEAD
	----------------------------------------------------
	X U A B --soft (disallowed)
	--mixed X B B
	--hard B B B
	--merge B B B
	--keep (disallowed)
	....

	....
	working index HEAD target working index HEAD
	----------------------------------------------------
	X U A A --soft (disallowed)
	--mixed X A A
	--hard A A A
	--merge A A A
	--keep (disallowed)
	....

	`X` means any state and `U` means an unmerged index.

	GIT
	---
	Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite