git vocabulary cheatsheet

• git. distributed version control software. originally written by linus torvalds. runs via command line interface (cli) such as the macos terminal (applications > utilities > terminal.app). learn more at git-scm.com.
• github.com. web host and web interface for git repositories. enables and promotes public distribution of and collaboration on software projects. owned by microsoft.
• github desktop. a graphical user interface (gui) git application for macos and windows. aimed at novices. runs a small subset of git commands.
• repository. a folder containing your project files, commit history, and branches.
• branch. an independent copy of a project's files. every repository contains one default branch, the main branch. branching is a big reason git is so popular with developers.
• commit. a snapshot of your repository at a specific point in time. each commit is identified by a unique hash. past commits are referred to as the repository's history.
• clone. to clone is to copy your repository on a git host such as github.com to your computer, linking them together. a cloned repository includes its files, history, and branches. changes on your computer can be synced with the remote repository, and vice versa.
• fork. to fork is to copy someone else's repository to your own account on a git host (such as github.com), linking them together. changes to your repository can be incorporated into the original, or "upstream," repository via a pull request. forking is common when you want to copy someone else's software and make changes to it, and still incorporate changes to the original author's software into your copy.
• pull. incorporate changes from a remote repository (such as a repository on github.com) into a repository on your computer.
• push. incorporate changes from a repository on your computer into a remote repository (such as a repository on github.com).
• history. a repository's commits sorted in reverse chronological order.
• ignore. files and folders that git should not monitor are stored in a file named .gitignore in the root of the repository.
• exclude. files and folders that git should not monitor—on your computer only—are stored in a file named .git/info/exclude in the root of the repository.
• tag. a tag is a label for a commit. tags are often used to denote versions.
• pull request. a proposal to merge changes from someone's copy of your repository (fork) with your repository. if you have forked someone else's repository, you can also propose merging your changes with the original author's repository.
• issue. a task, bug, proposal, enhancement, etc. every repository on github.com includes an issue tracker. learn more about issues.
• merge. incorporate commits from one branch into another branch.
• conflict. a conflict occurs when the same line in the same file has been changed by different commits in different branches. git cannot automatically merge the changes and requires you to edit the file with the conflict by hand.
• revert. undo a commit. creates a commit in the repository history.
• rebase. rewrite the history of a repository. often used instead of a "branch and merge" workflow to produce a cleaner history. also used for advanced history rewriting.