Git: Restore Is Not A Git Command
Git is undoubtedly one of the most popular and widely used distributed version control systems in the world today. Developed by Linus Torvalds, Git has gradually become an essential tool for developers and software engineers. Its features include distributed version control, speed, data integrity, and support for multiple development workflows. Its extensive command line interface (CLI) allows programmers to perform various operations on their projects, making their work process efficient and effective.
When working with Git, users may encounter various commands that Git offers. However, not every command is a Git command. One of the most commonly mistyped and misunderstood commands is restore. In this article, we will explore the concept behind restore, why restore is not a Git command, and alternatives to restore.
What is Restore?
Before we dive into why restore is not a Git command, let’s take a moment to understand what restore is.
Restore is a command used in Windows PowerShell that helps users recover their missing or deleted files or folders. It is an essential command for those who work with sensitive data and information. However, despite its usefulness, restore is often used as a Git command, which is incorrect.
Why Restore is Not a Git Command
Git is primarily designed for version control, and as such, its commands are built around this function. The restore command, which is used for file recovery in Windows PowerShell, has no particular place within Git’s version control system.
While Git has a set of commands available to manipulate files, restore is not one of them. When users type ‘git restore,’ Git gives an error message, stating that ‘restore is not a Git command.’ This error message shows that Git does not recognize this command, and therefore, it cannot generate the desired output.
Git does, however, have an alternative command for file recovery, which is ‘git checkout.’ The checkout command is designed to move files between branches or to undo changes to files. Thus, rather than using restore, users can use ‘git checkout’ to perform the same function.
Alternatives to Restore in Git
The use of ‘git checkout’ in place of restore is the best alternative for recovering lost or missing files in Git. Although ‘git checkout’ is more commonly used for switching between branches, it can still be used to retrieve lost files.
To recover a lost file using ‘git checkout,’ users can run the following command:
git checkout —
The ‘–’ in the command is used to specify the end of the option. It tells Git that the following argument will be a filename and not a branch name. The filename is the name of the file that the user wishes to recover.
Git offers another alternative to restore, which is to use the ‘git reset’ command. This command allows users to reset their staged area back to a specific point in the repository’s history.
To use ‘git reset’ to recover lost files, users can run the following command:
git reset –hard HEAD
This command resets the repository back to its last commit and erases any changes made to the files. Once the reset is completed, users can retrieve their lost files.
Conclusion
In this article, we have explored the concept of restore and why it is not a Git command. We have also discussed alternative methods for file recovery in Git, which are ‘git checkout’ and ‘git reset.’ While restore may seem like a practical command for file recovery, it is not available in Git. Therefore, it’s critical for users to understand the limitations of Git’s command set and to use other commands for file recovery to avoid errors.
To summarize, ‘restore is not a Git command,’ and users should refrain from using it in Git projects. Instead, use ‘git checkout’ or ‘git reset’ for file recovery, as these commands are built specifically for working with Git repositories. Remember, mastering Git’s commands is an essential part of working efficiently and accurately, and with practice, you can become a Git command pro.