Recover data by using Git commands

In the field of software development, Git has become an essential tool for version control and collaboration. However, occasionally, accidents happen, and valuable data can be lost or overwritten. In such cases, it is crucial to understand how to recover data using Git commands. In this article, we will explore some Git commands that can help you recover lost data and restore your project to a previous state. Let’s dive in!

1. Checking Git Log

The first step in recovering lost data is to identify the commit that introduced the changes you want to revert. Git provides the git log command, which displays a detailed history of commits in reverse chronological order. By examining the log, you can find the commit hash associated with the lost data.

To view the commit log, open your terminal or command prompt and navigate to your project directory. Then, run the following command:

git log

This will display the commit history with relevant information such as commit hash, author, date, and commit message.

2. Reverting a Commit

Once you have identified the commit that contains the lost data, you can use the git revert command to undo the changes introduced by that commit. This operation creates a new commit that undoes the modifications made in the targeted commit.

To revert a specific commit, use the following command, replacing COMMIT_HASH with the actual commit hash you obtained from the previous step:

git revert COMMIT_HASH

Git will prompt you to enter a commit message describing the revert. Once you provide the message, Git will create a new commit that effectively reverts the changes made in the specified commit.

3. Recovering Lost Commits

In some cases, you may accidentally delete commits or branches. If you haven’t performed a garbage collection (git gc) or used any cleanup commands, Git retains unreachable commits and objects for a specific period (typically 30 days) through the “reflog.”

To recover lost commits, you can use the git reflog command. This command displays the history of branch references, including commits that are no longer part of any branch. By examining the reflog, you can identify the lost commits’ hash and restore them.

Run the following command to view the reflog:

git reflog

You will see a list of commits with associated commit hashes. Identify the commit you want to restore and note down its hash.

To restore the lost commit, use the following command, replacing COMMIT_HASH with the actual commit hash:

git branch restore-branch COMMIT_HASH

This will create a new branch named restore-branch at the specified commit, allowing you to recover the lost commits.

4. Restoring Deleted Files

If you accidentally delete a file from your Git repository, you can easily restore it using the git checkout command. This command allows you to retrieve a specific file or an entire directory from a specific commit.

To restore a deleted file, use the following command, replacing COMMIT_HASH with the commit that contains the file and FILE_PATH with the path to the deleted file:

git checkout COMMIT_HASH -- FILE_PATH

Git will restore the file to its original location, and you should be able to see it in your project directory.

Conclusion

Data loss is an unfortunate event, but with Git’s powerful version control capabilities, you can recover lost data using the provided commands. By understanding how to utilize git log, git revert, git reflog, and git checkout, you can easily recover lost commits, revert changes, and restore deleted files. Incorporate these commands into your DevOps workflow to ensure data recovery becomes a smooth and efficient process.