Git Glossary

Quick reference for Git terms and concepts

A

Add

The process of staging files for commit. Files must be added to the staging area before they can be committed.

git add filename

Archive

A compressed file containing a snapshot of your repository at a specific point in time.

B

Branch

A separate line of development that allows you to work on features without affecting the main codebase.

git branch feature-name

Blame

A command that shows who made changes to each line of a file and when.

git blame filename

C

Commit

A snapshot of your repository at a specific point in time. Each commit has a unique identifier (hash).

git commit -m "message"

Clone

To create a local copy of a remote repository on your computer.

git clone repository-url

Conflict

When Git cannot automatically merge changes because the same lines have been modified in different ways.

D

Diff

A comparison between different versions of files, showing what has changed.

git diff

Directory

A folder that contains files and other directories (also called a folder).

F

Fetch

To download changes from a remote repository without merging them into your current branch.

git fetch origin

Fork

A copy of someone else's repository that you can modify without affecting the original.

H

Hash

A unique identifier for each commit, generated from the commit's content and metadata.

HEAD

A pointer to the current commit in your repository. It usually points to the tip of the current branch.

I

Init

To initialize a new Git repository in a directory.

git init

L

Log

A command that shows the history of commits in your repository.

git log

M

Merge

To combine changes from different branches into a single branch.

git merge branch-name

Master/Main

The default branch in a Git repository, typically containing the stable version of the code.

P

Pull

To download and merge changes from a remote repository into your current branch.

git pull origin branch-name

Push

To upload your local commits to a remote repository.

git push origin branch-name

R

Remote

A version of your repository hosted on a server (like GitHub) that you can share with others.

Repository

A directory that contains your project files and the entire history of changes.

Revert

To undo a commit by creating a new commit that reverses the changes.

git revert commit-hash

S

Stage

The area where files are prepared for commit. Files must be staged before they can be committed.

Status

A command that shows the current state of your repository, including which files are staged, modified, or untracked.

git status

T

Tag

A named reference to a specific commit, often used to mark releases or important milestones.

git tag v1.0.0

U

Untracked

Files that exist in your working directory but are not being tracked by Git.

V

Version Control

A system that tracks changes to files over time, allowing you to recall specific versions later.

W

Working Directory

The directory where you make changes to your files. It contains the current version of your project.