Explain the difference between --soft, --mixed, and --hard resets.

Short answer: Reset Type What It Does Example Scenario -soft Moves HEAD to a previous commit but keeps your changes staged You committed too early and just want to edit the message or add more changes.

Explain a bit more

-mixed (default) Moves HEAD and unstages files but keeps your changes in the working directory You want to redo your git add selections. -hard Completely resets everything — deletes all local changes You want to discard all work and return to a clean state. Example: git reset --soft HEAD~1 # undo last commit, keep staged git reset --mixed HEAD~1 # undo last commit, unstage files git reset --hard HEAD~1 # undo last commit and delete changes

Say this in the interview

1. Define — one clear sentence (the short answer above).
2. Example — relate it to a project like ShopNest or your real work.
3. Trade-off — when you would not use it.