How to Retrieve Deleted Code After Executing Git Commands

How to Retrieve Deleted Code After Executing Git Commands
How to Retrieve Deleted Code After Executing Git Commands
Mia Chevalier
Sunday, May 19, 2024 at 7:48:29 AM

Recovering Lost Code from Git Operations

There are situations when using Git commands in Visual Studio Code can result in unexpected outcomes, such losing your current modifications. This is a common scenario that occurs when you pull updates from the remote repository without first stashing your modifications.

In this post, we'll look at a typical situation when a sequence of Git commands causes your additional files and running code to vanish. In addition, we'll provide you instructions on how to find your misplaced code and avoid this from happening again.

Command Description
git reflog Displays an update history for all references, which is helpful for finding lost commits.
git checkout <commit_hash> To browse or retrieve files from a particular commit, switch to that commit.
git checkout -b <branch_name> Switches to a newly created branch, which is helpful for isolating changes.
git stash drop Used to clean up after applying stashed changes, it deletes a specified stash.
git merge recover-branch Allows for the integration of recovered work by merging modifications from the recovery branch into the current branch.
#!/bin/bash Marks the beginning of a Bash script, which is used to automate command sequences.

Understanding the Recovery Process

The accompanying scripts are intended to assist you in recovering lost changes following an improper execution of a series of Git commands. To save your modifications, the first script uses git reflog to locate the commit where your changes were lost. It then uses git checkout to switch to that commit and make a new branch. By doing this, you can reintegrate the recovered changes into your primary branch. It is imperative to use commands such as git checkout -b and git merge to properly isolate and integrate the modifications.

The second script shows how to apply the modifications that have been stashed, retrieve updates from the remote repository, and stash changes automatically. The commands in this script are as follows: git stash saves uncommitted changes, git pull updates the local repository, and git stash apply reapplies the modifications that were previously stored. In order to maintain a smooth workflow and reduce the possibility of losing work, it also has commands to settle disputes and clear the stash using git stash drop.

Finding Missing Files After Using Git Commands

Using Visual Studio Code's Git

# Step 1: Check the git reflog to find the lost commit
git reflog
# Step 2: Find the commit hash where you lost your changes
# Step 3: Checkout that commit to recover your files
git checkout <commit_hash>
# Step 4: Create a new branch from this commit to save your changes
git checkout -b recover-branch
# Step 5: Merge your changes back to your current branch
git checkout main
git merge recover-branch
# Step 6: Delete the recovery branch if no longer needed
git branch -d recover-branch

Bringing Back Stored Changes Following a Git Pull

Commands for Git Stash and Pull

# Step 1: Stash your changes before pulling
git stash
# Step 2: Pull the latest changes from the remote repository
git pull
# Step 3: Apply your stashed changes
git stash apply
# Step 4: If conflicts occur, resolve them
git add .
git commit -m "Resolved merge conflicts"
# Step 5: Clean up the stash if everything is resolved
git stash drop

Using a Script to Make the Procedure Automatic

Script in Bash for Git Management

#!/bin/bash
# Script to automate git stash, pull, and apply changes
echo "Stashing current changes..."
git stash
echo "Pulling latest changes from remote..."
git pull
echo "Applying stashed changes..."
git stash apply
echo "Resolving any merge conflicts..."
git add .
git commit -m "Resolved conflicts after stash apply"
echo "Cleaning up the stash..."
git stash drop

Managing Conflicts During Merges and Avoiding Data Loss

Merge conflicts can arise while using Git, particularly when the same lines of code are modified across branches. Git offers a number of commands and tools to manage this. You can identify potential conflict points by comparing the differences between commits or branches with the git diff command. You can manually resolve a dispute using an editor once it has been found.

It's critical to include the resolved files using git add and commit the modifications after conflicts have been resolved. Make sure your work is committed before making any new edits to avoid data loss. Your work will remain safe during the procedure if you use git stash to temporarily save your local adjustments and git stash pop to reapply them later.

Common Questions Regarding Data Recovery and Git Commands

  1. What does git reflog serve as?
  2. git reflog records changes to the branch tips, enabling you to retrieve commits that you may have lost.
  3. How do I handle disagreements that surface after git stash apply?
  4. Use git status to find conflicts, manually fix them, and commit after making stashed changes.
  5. What does git stash drop do?
  6. git stash drop eliminates a particular stash entry from the stash list.
  7. How can I get files back that I added but didn't commit?
  8. To locate hanging blobs and trees, use git fsck; to retrieve the content, use git show.
  9. How can I prevent loosing modifications before running git pull?
  10. Before downloading new updates, always stash or commit your changes using git stash or git commit.
  11. Can the stash, pull, and apply processes be automated?
  12. Yes, you can automate these Git commands by writing a script using bash or another shell.
  13. In what ways does git checkout -b aid in making up for missed work?
  14. It lets you isolate changes for recovery by enabling you to build a new branch from a particular commit.