Git Glossary

Metadata added to the end of commit messages, often used for things like issue references or sign-offs.

A file format used to store commit graph structure, improving performance for operations that traverse commit history.

A command to check the integrity and validity of the commit-graph file in a Git repository.

A low-level Git command used to create a new commit object from an existing tree object.

A command and system for setting configuration options for Git on a global, local, or repository level.

A diagnostic command that provides statistics about the number and size of objects in a Git repository.

A system that securely stores and retrieves credentials for Git operations, reducing the need for manual authentication.

A lightweight server for the Git protocol, allowing anonymous read access to Git repositories.

Objects in Git that are not reachable from any reference, often created during rebasing or other history-altering operations.

A command that generates a human-readable name for a commit based on the most recent tag and additional commit information.

A command that shows changes between commits, branches, files, or the working directory and the index.

Various methods used by Git to compute differences between versions of files, optimizing for different scenarios.

An external program or interface used to visualize differences between files or commits in a more user-friendly manner.

A command that fetches updates from all remote repositories configured in a Git project.

A powerful tool for rewriting Git history, allowing for large-scale changes across many commits.

A branching model for Git that defines a strict branching structure designed to support multiple parallel developments.

The process of creating a personal copy of someone else's project, allowing for independent development without affecting the original.

A command that verifies the connectivity and validity of objects in the Git database.

Verifies the integrity of objects in the Git database, checking for corruption and inconsistencies.

A security feature in Git that uses GPG to sign and verify commits and tags, ensuring authenticity.

A process that optimizes the Git repository by removing unnecessary files and compressing objects.

Short for Git Garbage Collection, a command to clean up unnecessary files and optimize the repository.

A command for searching files in a Git repository using regular expressions or simple string matching.

A script that Git automatically runs before or after specific events, like commits or merges, to customize workflows and enforce rules.

Same as Git Hook, scripts triggered by various Git actions to automate tasks or enforce policies.

A mechanism to specify intentionally untracked files that Git should ignore, typically defined in a .gitignore file.

The internal format used by Git to store the staging area information, representing the next commit to be made.

A command used to initialize a new Git repository, creating the necessary directory structure for version control.

A feature allowing users to modify commits in their branch history, useful for cleaning up before merging.

The underlying data structures and mechanisms Git uses to store and manage version control information.

A command to parse and manipulate the trailer lines typically found at the end of commit messages.

A system that manages large files by storing them outside the main repository, replacing them with lightweight pointers to improve performance and efficiency.

An extension that replaces large files with text pointers in Git, while storing the file contents on a remote server.

A command to display the commit history of a repository, showing details like author, date, and commit message.

A set of tasks performed to keep a Git repository in good condition, including garbage collection and optimization.

Different algorithms used by Git to combine separate development histories when merging branches.

External programs or interfaces used to resolve merge conflicts in a more visual and user-friendly manner.

A command that finds the best common ancestor between two commits, useful for determining the point where branches diverged.

A feature that improves performance for repositories with many pack files by creating an index across multiple packs.

A feature allowing multiple references (like branches or tags) with the same name to coexist by separating them into different namespaces.

A way to add or inspect object notes, allowing additional information to be attached to Git objects without changing their SHA-1 hash.

The system Git uses to store all the versions of files, commits, and other objects in a content-addressable filesystem.

Compressed files containing Git objects, used to efficiently store and transfer repository data.

The internal format used by Git to store multiple objects efficiently in a single file, reducing disk usage and improving performance.

A feature allowing users to clone a repository without downloading all of its objects, saving bandwidth and storage.

A file format representing changes between versions, used for sharing and applying modifications across different repositories.

Low-level Git commands that expose the internal workings of Git, primarily used for scripting and advanced operations.

User-friendly commands for everyday tasks, like git status and git commit, designed for ease of use and clear output.

The native network protocol used by Git for efficient data transfer between repositories.

A command that removes objects that are no longer reachable from any references in the repository.