Recovering and Resetting a Git Branch Safely

1. Clone the repository and create a local branch to preserve the original broken state of the branch.

   git clone <ssh_url>                             # Clone the repository  
   git checkout -b test/recovery           # Create a local recovery branch for the broken branch state  

   The test/recovery branch now serves as a backup of the broken branch in its original state.

2. Switch back to the original branch and perform the reset.

   git checkout <branch_name>                # Switch to the original broken branch  
   git reset --hard <sane_commit_id>       # Reset to the specified stable commit  

3. Optional: Push the recovery branch to the remote repository to preserve the backup beyond your local machine.

   git push origin test/recovery           # Push recovery branch to remote  

4. Force-push the reset branch to update the remote repository.
   Warning: A force push will overwrite the remote branch. Ensure you have communicated with your team about this.

   git push origin <branch_name> -f        # Force push changes to remote

Reverting to the Original State (If Needed)

If the reset does not work as expected, follow these steps to revert to the original state using the recovery branch.

git checkout <branch_name>              # Switch to the branch requiring recovery  
git merge test/recovery                       # Merge changes from recovery branch  
git push origin <branch_name>          # Push merged changes to remote  

Clean Up Local and Remote States

Once the debugging session is complete and the issue is resolved, clean up any extra branches to maintain a tidy repository state.

# Delete the recovery branch locally and remotely  
git branch -d test/recovery             # Delete local recovery branch  
git push -d origin test/recovery        # Delete remote recovery branch  

Additional Useful Git Commands

• Push the Current Branch to Remote

  git push origin <branch_name>  

• Delete a Remote Branch

  git push -d origin <branch_name>  

• Delete a Local Branch

  git branch -D <branch_name>  

Best Practices

• Always create a recovery branch to preserve the original state before making irreversible changes.
• Communicate with your team when force-pushing changes.
• Keep the remote repository clean and only push recovery branches when necessary.
• Clean up extra branches after resolving the issue to avoid confusion.

By following these steps and safety measures, you can confidently reset a broken branch while retaining the ability to restore it if necessary.