Top GitHub Interview Questions & Answers

1. What is Git?

Git is a version control system for tracking changes in computer files and is used to help coordinate work among several people on a project while tracking progress over time. In other words, it’s a tool that facilitates source code management in software development.

2. Who can use Git?

Git favours both programmers and non-technical users by keeping track of their project files. It enables multiple users to work together and handles large projects efficiently.

3. What do you understand by the term ‘Version Control System’?

A version control system (VCS) is a software tool used to create different project versions and store them in a repository. All modifications to the code are recorded and tracked by the VCS, so a specific version may be called later if needed.

4. What are the types of version control systems?

Local version control systems have a database that maintains all the file changes on disk under revision control in a special format.
Centralized version control systems contain one repository, and each user gets a working copy.
Distributed version control systems contain multiple repositories, each accessible to separate users with their working copy.

5. What are Git and GitHub?

Git is an open-source and free-distributed version control system developed to handle projects of all sizes quickly and efficiently.

GitHub uses Git to provide Internet hosting for version control and software development. It offers the functionality of distributed version control and source code management, which is found in Git, in addition to other unique features.

6. What is the difference between Git and GitHub?

Git is a version control system that is used in the management of the source code history. GitHub, on the other hand, is a cloud-based hosting service that is used in the management of Git repositories. GitHub is designed to help in the better management of open-source projects.

7. What is a git repository?

A Git repository refers to a place where all the Git files are stored. These files can either be stored on the local repository or the remote repository.

8. Name a few Git commands with their function.

• Git config - Configure the username and email address
• Git add - Add one or more files to the staging area
• Git diff - View the changes made to the file
• Git init - Initialize an empty Git repository
• Git commit - Commit changes to the head but not to the remote repository

9. What is the meaning of “Index” or “Staging Area” in GIT?

When we are making the commits, we can make changes to it, format it, and review it in the intermediate area known as the ‘Staging Area’ or ‘Index’.

10. What are some of the most important commands in Git?

Some of the most important Git commands are "commit", "push", and "pull".

The "commit" command is used to save changes to the local repository.

The "push" command is used to send changes to the remote repository.

Then the "pull" command is used to retrieve changes from the remote repository

11. What does the git push command do?

The Git push command is used to push the content from a local repository to a remote repository. After a local repository has been modified, a push is executed to share the modifications with remote team members. Pushing can overwrite changes, so it should be used with caution.

12. What is the git pull command?

The git pull command is for fetching and downloading content from a remote repository and integrating it with a local repository.

13. What is the difference between git fetch and git pull?

The Git fetch command only downloads new data from a remote repository. It does not integrate any of these new data into your working files.

Git pull, on the other hand, updates the current HEAD branch with the latest changes from the remote server. It downloads new data and integrates it with the current working files.

14. What is forking in Git?

A repository copy is called a fork. So, forking allows one to experiment with changes without worrying about the original project. This process is ideal for proposing changes to someone else’s projects.

15. What is the use of a Git clone?

The Git clone command lets us copy the existing Git repository. If we want to get a copy of the central repository then the best way to do it is using ‘cloning’.

16. What is a branch in Git?

A branch is a new/separate version of the main repository. Branches allow you to work on different parts of a project without impacting the main branch. When the work is complete, a branch can be merged with the main project.

17. What is a commit in Git?

A commit is a way to save changes to a branch. When a commit is made, a snapshot of the current state of the branch is created. This snapshot can be used to revert the branch to that state if necessary.

18. What is the difference between fork, branch, and clone?

The fork is the process when a copy of the repository is made. It's usually experimentation in the project without affecting the original project.

Git branches refer to individual projects within a Git repository. If there are several branches in a repository, then each branch can have entirely different files and folders.

Git clone refers to creating a clone or a copy of an existing Git repository in a new directory.

19. Difference between head, working tree, and index.

They are all names for various branches. Even Though a single git repository can track an arbitrary number of branches, the working tree is only associated with one of them, and HEAD points to that branch.

20. What is HEAD in Git, and how many HEADs can be created in a repository?

The reference to a commit object is called the HEAD. Every repository has a ‘Master’ which is the default head. There can be multiple heads in a repository.

21. Mention some popular Git hosting services.

GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket are some of the popular Git hosting services.

22. What are the benefits of using Git?

• Collaboration is very simple.
• Git is a free and open-source distributed version control system.
• Compatible with all the operating systems.
• There can only be one Git directory per repository.
• Excellent network and disc performance are achieved

23. What language is used in Git?

Git is a fast and reliable version control system. C Language is used in Git to reduce the overhead of run times, which are common in high-level languages.

24. How to resolve conflicts in Git?

Identify the files which produce conflicts and make the desired change to the files. Finally, commit the changes to the branch.

25. What is a commit message?

A commit in GitHub is described as a saved change. A commit message explains what change you made to your project.

26. What are the Issues in GitHub?

An Issue in GitHub is a sort of bug tracker for a project that has its section in every repository. It can be used for discussions which include a variety of things like reporting a bug on that repository, asking questions or even asking for a particular feature.

27. What is GitHub Desktop?

GitHub Desktop is a free, open source application that helps you to work with code hosted on GitHub or other Git hosting services. With GitHub Desktop, you can perform Git commands, such as committing and pushing changes, in a graphical user interface, rather than using the command line.

28. What is the purpose of a ".gitignore" file?

The ".gitignore" file is used to specify files and directories that should be ignored by Git, preventing them from being tracked or committed.

29. How do you contribute to an open-source project on GitHub?

You can contribute to an open-source project on GitHub by forking the repository, making changes in your forked repository, and creating a pull request to propose your changes to the original project.

30. What is the origin of Git?

Origin refers to the remote repository that a project was originally cloned from and is used instead of the original repository’s URL. This allows for easier referencing.

31. What is GitHub Workflow?

Git provides 3 key areas where we can store the files.

• A working directory
• Staging area
• Git repository

32. What is Commit Hash/SHA?

Each commit has a unique identifier which is called that commit's hash or SHA. It is generated using the cryptographic hash function called SHA-1. SHA-1 stands for Secure Hash Algorithm - 1.

33. What is Star in GitHub?

A star in GitHub is equivalent to a “Like” button on Facebook. A voting system, which enables developers to vouch for projects they think are excellent.

34. What are tags in GitHub?

Tags make a point as a specific point in Git history. It is used to mark a commit stage as important. We can tag a commit for future reference.

35. What is Gist in GitHub?

A Gist is a way to share snippets of code or other content. Gists can be versioned, forked, and starred, much like repositories.

36. What do you mean by switching branches?

Switch branch simply means to navigate from one branch to another.

37. What is the master or main branch?

It is the primary branch of a repository. GitHub recently started using "main" instead of "master" as the default branch name.

38. What do you mean by a pull request?

Pull Request (PR) is a proposal to merge changes from one branch into another, often from a forked repository into the original repository.

39. Who is Watcher in GitHub?

A watcher is a user who is following a repository to receive notifications about new Pull Requests, Issues, and other activities.

40. What is a README file in GitHub?

It is a file that provides information about the project. It's the first thing users see when they visit a repository on GitHub

41. What is the regular way for branching in GIT?

The best way to create a branch in GIT is to have one ‘main’ branch and then create another branch to implement the changes that we want to make. This is extremely useful when there are a large number of developers working on a single project.

42. Why do we need branching in GIT?

With the help of branching, we can have our branch and we can also jump between various branches. We can go to our previous work, at the same time keeping our recent work intact.

43. Explain git checkout in Git.

Git checkout allows for the switching of the HEAD. It can be used to restore the historic versions of files as well. The command operates upon files, commits, and branches.

44. What is Git stash?

The Git stash will take the working directory in its current state and index it to put it on the stack at a later stage so that what we get is a clean working directory.

If we are in the middle of some task and need to get a clean working directory and simultaneously want to keep all our current edits, then we can use the Git stash.

45. What is GIT stash drop?

When we are finished working on the stashed item or want to remove the list, we can use the Git stash drop. This will ensure that the item that was last added by default or any particular item can be removed from the argument.

46. What does git rebase do?

It is a linear process of merging and an alternative to the git merge command. Rebasing makes it seem like one has created a branch from a different commit.

47. How is a Git merge different from a Git rebase?

In git rebase, a feature branch is moved into a master. Git merge maintains the history by adding a new commit.

48. How do you define a ‘conflict’ in git?

If we want to merge a commit there is a change in one place and the same change already exists then while merging Git will not be able to predict which change needs to take precedence.

49. What does the git status command do?

The git status command is used to obtain the current state of a Git repository. The git status command will also show which branch is currently checked out and whether there are any uncommitted changes.

50. What is “git cherry-pick”?

The command git cherry-pick enables you to pick up commits from a branch within a repository and apply it to another branch. This command is useful to undo changes when any commit is accidentally made to the wrong branch. Then, you can switch to the correct branch and use this command to cherry-pick the commit.