Re: Reset by checkout?

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Kevin Bracey <kevin@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> On 31/05/2014 08:46, Atsushi Nakagawa wrote:
> >    `git checkout -B <current-branch-name> <tree-ish>`
> >
> > This is such an useful notion that I can fathom why there isn't a better,
> > first-tier, alternative.q
> ...
> 
> I guess in theory using "checkout" allows fancier extra options like
> "--merge" and "--patch", but I don't think I've ever used those with
> checkout, let alone this mode, where I really do just want a "reset",
> with safety checks.

It does indeed have those fancier options.  However, I just noticed
there's even a 'reset --merge'!  And like you say, I can't remember ever
using 'checkout --merge' together with 'checkout -B'.

> The original "git reset --hard" used to be a pretty top-level command.
> It was used for aborting merges in particular. But I think it now
> stands out as being one of the only really dangerous porcelain
> commands, and I can't think of any real workflow it's still useful
> for. 

My thoughts exactly.  I think the 'reset --soft/--mixed/--hard' pattern
is so ingrained, that many people just don't realize there's a safer
alternative.  (I've heard work mates on more than one occasion
recommending 'reset --hard' as the go-to command for discarding commits.)

I believe this is likely because many third party GUI tools just don't
support 'reset --keep', and these tools present a "Reset..." dialog with
the de facto Soft/Mixed/Hard options.  (Even 'gitk' does this.)

> Maybe it could now be modified to warn and require "-f" to
> overwrite anything in the working tree?

If people just forgot about '--hard' and used '--mixed/--keep' for
regular cases, '--hard' would effectively be -f. ;)

> While digging into this, it seems "git reset --keep" is actually
> pretty close to "git checkout -B <current branch>". It certainly won't
> lose your workspace file, but unlike checkout it /does /forget what
> you've staged, which could be annoying.  Maybe that could be modified
> to keep the index too?

Yes, I didn't realize that 'reset --keep' existed and now I'm feeling a
bit silly for asking.  The index preservation artefact of 'checkout -B'
could be useful, though I can't remember at this point if I've relied on
it in the past.

The documetation for 'reset --keep' is ambiguous about what happens to
index entries of differing files, so modifying it may be an option if
there's demand..  I'm going to try out 'reset --keep' for a while and
see if it does get annoying.

Cheers,


-- 
Atsushi Nakagawa
<atnak@xxxxxxxxx>
Changes are made when there is inconvenience.

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