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[PATCH 0/4] doc: git-reset: clarify DESCRIPTION section

From
Julia Evans via GitGitGadget <gitgitgadget@gmail.com>
Date
Oct 17, 2025, 20:05 UTC
Message-ID
<pull.1991.git.1760731558.gitgitgadget@gmail.com>

I got feedback from 24 Git users about the current git reset man page, using this tool: https://text-feedback.wizardzines.com/git-reset.

My main goals here are to highlight the git reset [--soft | --hard | --mixed...] <commit> use of git reset that many users commenting said they considered the "main" use (which is currently at the end), explain how --soft, --hard and --mixed work more clearly, and to avoid using terminology that users don't understand when that's realistic.

Like we discussed with git checkout, there's some tension about using the word "index" since on one hand many users don't know what it means, but on the other hand (especially with commands like git reset --hard) it gets very awkward to talk about what's going on precisely without using that word, since the index is a core concept in Git's data model. I've done my best here to use the word "index" where I think it's appropriate and use the word "staged" otherwise.

There were also quite a few comments about the EXAMPLES section which I think could also be made clearer, but I'll defer that to a separate patch series to keep the size of this one under control.

Julia Evans (4):
  doc: git-reset: reorder the forms
  doc: git-reset: clarify intro
  doc: git-reset: clarify `git reset [mode]`
  doc: git-reset: clarify `git reset <pathspec>`
 Documentation/git-reset.adoc | 102 +++++++++++++++++------------------
 1 file changed, 51 insertions(+), 51 deletions(-)
base-commit: a483264b01b977f3e65a4419103c21e6af7412a2
Published-As: https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git/releases/tag/pr-1991%2Fjvns%2Fclarify-reset-v1
Fetch-It-Via: git fetch https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git pr-1991/jvns/clarify-reset-v1
Pull-Request: https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git/pull/1991
-- 
gitgitgadget
Next: Julia Evans via GitGitGadget
Message 1 of 39 in “doc: git-reset: clarify DESCRIPTION section”
  1. 0/4 doc: git-reset: clarify DESCRIPTION sectionJulia Evans via GitGitGadget, Oct 17, 2025
  2. 1/4 doc: git-reset: reorder the formsJulia Evans via GitGitGadget, Oct 17, 2025
  3. Junio C HamanoOct 17, 2025
  4. Julia EvansOct 20, 2025
  5. 2/4 doc: git-reset: clarify introJulia Evans via GitGitGadget, Oct 17, 2025
  6. Junio C HamanoOct 17, 2025
  7. Julia EvansOct 20, 2025
  8. Junio C HamanoOct 20, 2025
  9. D. Ben KnobleOct 20, 2025
  10. Julia EvansDec 3, 2025
  11. 3/4 doc: git-reset: clarify `git reset [mode]`Julia Evans via GitGitGadget, Oct 17, 2025
  12. Junio C HamanoOct 18, 2025
  13. Julia EvansOct 20, 2025
  14. D. Ben KnobleOct 20, 2025
  15. Junio C HamanoOct 20, 2025
  16. 4/4 doc: git-reset: clarify `git reset <pathspec>`Julia Evans via GitGitGadget, Oct 17, 2025
  17. Junio C HamanoOct 17, 2025
  18. Ben KnobleOct 18, 2025
  19. Junio C HamanoOct 18, 2025
  20. 0/4 doc: git-reset: clarify DESCRIPTION sectionD. Ben Knoble, Dec 19, 2025
  21. 1/4 doc: git-reset: reorder the formsD. Ben Knoble, Dec 19, 2025
  22. 2/4 doc: git-reset: clarify introD. Ben Knoble, Dec 19, 2025
  23. 3/4 doc: git-reset: clarify `git reset [mode]`D. Ben Knoble, Dec 19, 2025
  24. 4/4 doc: git-reset: clarify `git reset <pathspec>`D. Ben Knoble, Dec 19, 2025
  25. Junio C HamanoDec 30, 2025
  26. D. Ben KnobleJan 1, 2026
  27. 0/4 doc: git-reset: clarify DESCRIPTION sectionD. Ben Knoble, Jan 1, 2026
  28. 1/4 doc: git-reset: reorder the formsD. Ben Knoble, Jan 1, 2026
  29. 2/4 doc: git-reset: clarify introD. Ben Knoble, Jan 1, 2026
  30. Jean-Noël AVILAJan 2, 2026
  31. 3/4 doc: git-reset: clarify `git reset [mode]`D. Ben Knoble, Jan 1, 2026
  32. Jean-Noël AVILAJan 2, 2026
  33. 4/4 doc: git-reset: clarify `git reset <pathspec>`D. Ben Knoble, Jan 1, 2026
  34. 0/4 doc: git-reset: clarify DESCRIPTION sectionD. Ben Knoble, Jan 5, 2026
  35. 1/4 doc: git-reset: reorder the formsD. Ben Knoble, Jan 5, 2026
  36. 2/4 doc: git-reset: clarify introD. Ben Knoble, Jan 5, 2026
  37. 3/4 doc: git-reset: clarify `git reset [mode]`D. Ben Knoble, Jan 5, 2026
  38. 4/4 doc: git-reset: clarify `git reset <pathspec>`D. Ben Knoble, Jan 5, 2026
  39. Junio C HamanoJan 7, 2026

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