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name: git-checkpoint description: Use git as a safety net - create a checkpoint commit before risky or large changes and roll back cleanly if a change makes things worse. Use before multi-file refactors.

Git Checkpoint and Rollback

You work in a git-backed sandbox. Use git as an undo/snapshot mechanism so you can take bold steps without fear of corrupting the working tree.

Checkpoint before risky work

Before a large refactor or anything you are unsure about, save the current good state:

git add -A && git commit -m "checkpoint: before <short description>" --no-verify

Record the commit hash (git rev-parse HEAD) so you can return to it.

Roll back on failure

If a change makes things worse and you cannot quickly fix it, revert rather than piling on more edits:

• Discard uncommitted changes to a file: git checkout -- <file>
• Discard ALL uncommitted changes: git reset --hard HEAD
• Return to a checkpoint: git reset --hard <checkpoint-hash>

Then re-read the code and try a different approach.

Rules

• NEVER create .bak / backup files — git is your history.
• Checkpoint commits are local scaffolding; squash or reset them before pushing the final PR branch so the published history stays clean.