What is the difference between git reset and git restore?
Why Interviewers Ask This
This is a classic screening question for Git & GitHub roles. Hiring managers ask it early in interviews to gauge your baseline understanding and determine if you can communicate technical concepts clearly.
Answer
Git 2.23 (2019) split the overloaded git checkout command into two more focused commands: git restore and git switch. git restore is specifically for restoring files in the working tree or staging area — discarding changes: git restore file.txt — discard working directory changes to file.txt (revert to staged version or last commit); git restore --staged file.txt — unstage a file (remove from staging area, keep working directory changes); git restore --source HEAD~2 file.txt — restore file to its state 2 commits ago; git restore . — discard all working directory changes. git reset is for moving the branch pointer and adjusting the commit history: git reset HEAD~1 — undo last commit (unstages changes); git reset --hard — discard commits and changes; git reset --soft — undo commits but keep staged. Summary: use git restore to discard file changes without touching commit history; use git reset to undo commits and rewrite commit history. Both git restore and git switch are now recommended over git checkout for clarity, though checkout still works.
Pro Tip
Back up your answer with a specific project or situation. Saying 'In my last Git & GitHub project, I used this when...' immediately makes your answer more credible and memorable.