Git documentation: about `revert` subcommand of `git add -i`

Question

Git documentation about the revert subcommand of git add -i:

revert
This has a very similar UI to update, and the staged information for selected paths are reverted to that of the HEAD version.

Maybe I incorrectly understand this text... I understand this like:

revert does the same like git checkout -- file_name.

But at practice I see revert only removes file from the staging area. Did I incorrect translat, or it is incorrect text in the documentation?

Answer 1

There is a difference between the subcommand revert (on interactive mode) the command revert and command reset.

• The first one is the opposite of git add, and you will able to use only if you run git add --interactive
• The second one is used to revert commits (will add a new commit with the opposite operations of the reverted commit).
• The last one is like the git add subcommand revert (first one), I mean, undo git add command (unless you specify a commit, see documentation).

So if you want to really reset some file you have to use git checkout -- HEAD filename

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From Documentation:

Git Revert

Git Reset

Git CheckOut