Git Glossary

From commit to clone to pull request, your passport to the collaborative world of Git workflows.

@mention

A feature in Git platforms that allows users to notify specific team members or reference issues by using the @ symbol followed by a username.

API preview

A feature allowing developers to test and provide feedback on new Git API functionality before it's officially released.

Bare Repository

A Git repository containing version control information without a working directory, typically used as a central repository for collaboration.

Bisect

A Git command used to perform a binary search through a repository's history to identify the commit that introduced a bug or issue.

Bitbucket Pipelines

An integrated CI/CD service in Bitbucket for automating builds, tests, and deployments.

Blame

A Git feature that shows which user last modified each line of a file, helping developers trace changes and understand code history.

Blamestorming

A collaborative process of analyzing Git blame information to identify the source of bugs or issues in a codebase.

Branch

A parallel version of a repository, allowing developers to work on different features or experiments without affecting the main codebase.

Branch policies

Rules enforced on Git branches to ensure code quality, require reviews, or restrict certain actions before merging.

Business plan

A premium subscription tier offered by Git hosting services, providing advanced features and support for enterprise users.

CA certificate

A digital certificate issued by a Certificate Authority, used in Git to establish secure HTTPS connections and verify server identities.

Cache

A temporary storage area that holds frequently accessed data for quick retrieval, improving system performance.

Checkout

A Git command used to switch between different branches or restore files from a specific commit in a repository's history.

Cherry-Pick

A Git operation that applies the changes from a specific commit to the current branch, useful for selective code integration.

Cherry-picking

The practice of selecting and applying specific commits from one branch to another in Git, often used for targeted bug fixes.

Clone

The process of creating a local copy of a remote Git repository, allowing developers to work on the codebase independently.

Code owners file

A file specifying individuals or teams responsible for code in different parts of a repository.

Commit

Operation in version control systems that saves changes to the local repository, creating a new revision with a unique identifier.

Conflict

A situation in Git where incompatible changes have been made to the same part of a file, requiring manual resolution before merging.

Continuous Integration

Practice of merging all developer working copies to a shared mainline several times a day.

DAG (Directed Acyclic Graph)

Directed Acyclic Graph, the underlying data structure used by Git to represent the commit history and relationships between commits.

Detach HEAD

A Git operation that moves the HEAD pointer to a specific commit, allowing for temporary exploration of historical states.

Diff

A Git command or operation that shows the differences between two commits, branches, files, or other Git objects.

Downstream

Refers to the direction of change propagation in Git, typically from a parent branch to its child branches or forks.

Explorer

A feature in Git platforms for browsing repository contents, viewing files, and navigating through different branches.

Feature branch workflow

A Git pattern where each new feature is developed in a dedicated branch, then merged back to the main branch.

Fetch

A Git command that retrieves changes from a remote repository without automatically merging them into the local branch.

Force Push

A Git push operation that overwrites the remote branch's history with the local branch, potentially causing data loss if used carelessly.

Fork

A personal copy of another user's repository on a Git hosting platform, allowing independent development without affecting the original project.

Free plan

A no-cost tier offered by Git hosting services, typically with limited features and storage for individual users or small projects.

GPG (GNU Privacy Guard)

An encryption software used with Git for signing commits and tags, enhancing security and verification.

Gist

A simple way to share code snippets, notes, or small files using Git, often integrated into Git platforms.

Git

Distributed version control system for tracking changes in source code during software development.

Git Alias

A custom shortcut command defined by users to simplify complex or frequently used Git operations.

Git Alternates

A mechanism in Git allowing a repository to borrow objects from another repository, useful for saving disk space in large projects.

Git Annotate

A Git command that shows the author and commit information for each line in a file, similar to the "blame" feature.

Git Assume Unchanged

A Git feature that tells the system to temporarily ignore changes to a tracked file, useful for local configuration files.

Git Attributes

A mechanism in Git for defining attributes on a per-path basis, controlling how Git handles certain files or directories.

Git Bisect

A Git command used to perform a binary search through the commit history to find the commit that introduced a bug.

Git Bisect Run

An automated version of Git Bisect that uses a script to determine if each checked-out commit is "good" or "bad".

Git Blame -C (Copy Detection)

An enhanced version of Git Blame that detects lines moved or copied from other files, providing better change tracking.

Git Bundle

A Git command that creates a single file containing all the data needed to recreate a repository's branch or history.

Git Bundle Create/Verify

Commands to create and verify Git bundles, useful for transferring repository data without using a network.

Git Cheat Sheet

A quick reference guide summarizing common Git commands and their usage, helpful for both beginners and experienced users.

Git Cherry

A Git command used to find commits that haven't been merged upstream, useful for identifying changes to be applied to another branch.

Git Clean

A command to remove untracked files from the working directory, helping to maintain a clean repository state.

Git Commit --amend

A command that allows you to modify the most recent commit, adding new changes or updating the commit message.

Git Commit Amend

A command that allows you to modify the most recent commit, changing its message or contents, and update it without creating a new commit.

Git Commit Hooks

Scripts that run automatically before or after a commit, allowing you to enforce rules, format code, or perform checks on changes.

Git Commit Templates

Predefined structures for commit messages, helping maintain consistency and include necessary information in commits.