How to Revert Multiple Git Commits?

Reverting multiple Git commits is a common task when you need to undo a series of changes made to your codebase. This process can be important for fixing mistakes, removing faulty code, or simply rolling back to a previous stable state. Git provides several methods to revert multiple commits, each with its own use cases and implications. This article will guide you through these methods, ensuring you can handle any situation effectively.

Why Revert Multiple Commits?

• A series of commits introduced bugs or errors.
• You need to backtrack on a feature or changes that are no longer needed.
• The commits were made on the wrong branch or need to be reorganized.

Methods to Revert Multiple Commits

1. Revert Commits Individually

The git revert command is used to create a new commit that undoes the changes made by previous commits. This method preserves the commit history.

Step 1 : Identify the range of commits you want to revert using git log.

Revert each commit individually:

git revert <commit-hash1> <commit-hash2> ... <commit-hashN>

Step 2 : Push the new commits to the remote repository:

git push origin <branch-name>

This method is useful for maintaining a clear history of changes while reversing specific commits.

2. Revert a Range of Commits

You can revert a range of commits in a single command using a script or manually specifying each commit. However, Git does not provide a direct way to revert a range of commits with one command.

Step 1 : Identify the start and end of the commit range using git log.

Use a loop to revert the range of commits

for commit in $(git rev-list <start-commit>..<end-commit>); do git revert $commit; done

Step 2 : Push the new commits to the remote repository:

git push origin <branch-name>

This method is efficient for reverting multiple commits in a sequence without manually specifying each commit.

3. Reset to a Previous Commit

The git reset command can be used to move the HEAD pointer to a previous state, effectively removing commits from the history. This method changes the commit history and should be used with caution.

Note: Force pushing can overwrite changes in the remote repository, which might disrupt other developers' work. Ensure you communicate with your team before performing this action.

Step 1: Identify the commit hash to which you want to reset using git log.

Step 2 : Perform a hard reset:

git reset --hard <commit-hash>

Step 3 : Force push the changes to the remote repository

git push --force origin <branch-name>

4. Interactive Rebase

For more complex scenarios involving multiple commits, git rebase in interactive mode allows you to edit, reorder, or squash commits.

Step 1 : Start an interactive rebase for the last few commits:

git rebase -i HEAD~<number-of-commits>

Step 2 : In the interactive rebase interface, specify actions like edit, reword, or drop for each commit.

Step 3 : Complete the rebase process and force push the changes

git push --force origin <branch-name>