[PATCH v4 0/4] doc: git-reset: clarify DESCRIPTION section
From: D. Ben Knoble <hidden>
Date: 2026-01-05 21:48:58
This continues Julia Evans's excellent work updating the git-reset docs. Changes in v4: - Adjust wording per Jean-Noël Avila's review Changes in v3: - Adjust "git reset -p" description per Junio's review Changes in v2: - Mostly address Junio's review while keeping to Julia's style (?), taking at a stab at a few gray areas. - I left alone the first patch, the commented-upon part of which is later rewritten anyway. v1: https://lore.kernel.org/git/pull.1991.git.1760731558.gitgitgadget@gmail.com/ (local) v2: https://lore.kernel.org/git/cover.1766103827.git.ben.knoble+github@gmail.com/ (local) v3: https://lore.kernel.org/git/cover.1767307382.git.ben.knoble+github@gmail.com/ (local) Published-as: https://github.com/benknoble/git/tree/bk/je/doc-reset Julia Evans (4): doc: git-reset: reorder the forms doc: git-reset: clarify intro doc: git-reset: clarify `git reset [mode]` doc: git-reset: clarify `git reset <pathspec>` Documentation/git-reset.adoc | 111 ++++++++++++++++++----------------- 1 file changed, 57 insertions(+), 54 deletions(-) Diff-intervalle contre v3 : 1: a558c5a868 = 1: a558c5a868 doc: git-reset: reorder the forms 2: f90be8559f ! 2: 3fc46c7158 doc: git-reset: clarify intro @@ Documentation/git-reset.adoc: git-reset(1) NAME ---- -git-reset - Reset current HEAD to the specified state -+git-reset - Set HEAD or the index to a known state ++git-reset - Set `HEAD` or the index to a known state SYNOPSIS -------- @@ Documentation/git-reset.adoc: git reset (--patch | -p) [<tree-ish>] [--] [<paths -In the last three forms, copy entries from _<tree-ish>_ to the index. +`git reset` does either of the following: + -+1. `git reset [<mode>] <commit>` changes which commit HEAD points to. This makes -+ it possible to undo various Git operations, for example commit, merge, ++1. `git reset [<mode>] <commit>` changes which commit `HEAD` points to. This ++ makes it possible to undo various Git operations, for example commit, merge, + rebase, and pull. +2. When you specify files or directories or pass `--patch`, `git reset` updates + the staged version of the specified files. 3: 89c87c14aa ! 3: 0ca9fcf943 doc: git-reset: clarify `git reset [mode]` @@ Documentation/git-reset.adoc: DESCRIPTION - 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. -+ Leaves your working directory unchanged. -+ Updates the index to match the new HEAD, so nothing will be staged. ++ Leave your working directory unchanged. ++ Update the index to match the new `HEAD`, so nothing will be staged. + - If `-N` is specified, removed paths are marked as intent-to-add (see +-If `-N` is specified, removed paths are marked as intent-to-add (see ++If `-N` is specified, mark removed paths as intent-to-add (see linkgit:git-add[1]). +`--soft`:: @@ Documentation/git-reset.adoc: DESCRIPTION - Resets the index and working tree. Any changes to tracked files in the - working tree since _<commit>_ are discarded. Any untracked files or - directories in the way of writing any tracked files are simply deleted. -+ Overwrites all files and directories with the version from _<commit>_, ++ Overwrite all files and directories with the version from _<commit>_, + and may overwrite untracked files. Tracked files not in _<commit>_ are + removed so that the working tree matches _<commit>_. -+ Updates the index to match the new HEAD, so nothing will be staged. ++ Update the index to match the new `HEAD`, so nothing will be staged. `--merge`:: -+ Mainly exists to reset unmerged index entries, like those left behind by -+ `git am -3` or `git switch -m` in certain situations. - Resets the index and updates the files in the working tree that are - different between _<commit>_ and `HEAD`, but keeps those which are +- Resets the index and updates the files in the working tree that are +- different between _<commit>_ and `HEAD`, but keeps those which are ++ Reset the index and update the files in the working tree that are ++ different between _<commit>_ and `HEAD`, but keep those which are different between the index and working tree (i.e. which have changes which have not been added). ++ Mainly exists to reset unmerged index entries, like those left behind by ++ `git am -3` or `git switch -m` in certain situations. If a file that is different between _<commit>_ and the index has unstaged changes, reset is aborted. -+ 4: 96566265d8 ! 4: accf7a0673 doc: git-reset: clarify `git reset <pathspec>` @@ Documentation/git-reset.adoc: linkgit:git-add[1]). -and specifying a commit with `--source`, you -can copy the contents of a path out of a commit to the index and to the -working tree in one go. -+In this mode, `git reset` updates only the index (without updating the HEAD or ++In this mode, `git reset` updates only the index (without updating the `HEAD` or +working tree files). If you want to update the files as well as the index +entries, use linkgit:git-restore[1]. base-commit: f229982df19c327876ce7ded40f6efefe20da5d4 -- 2.52.0.rc0.426.g1df11fb20d.dirty