Reference

Last updated on 2026-03-03 | Edit this page

Glossary

Branch
A parallel line of development within a repository. Branches allow you to work on new features or fixes without affecting the stable main branch. Once the work is complete, the branch is merged back.
Clone
Creating a local copy of a remote repository on your computer. Cloning downloads all files, history, and branches so you can work offline.
Commit
A saved snapshot of changes in your project. Each commit records what changed, when, who made the change, and a message describing why. Commits form the building blocks of your project’s history.
Conflict (Merge Conflict)
A situation that arises when two sets of changes modify the same lines in the same file. Git cannot resolve this automatically and asks you to choose which version to keep (or combine both).
Diff
A comparison showing exactly which lines were added, removed, or modified between two versions of a file.
Fetch
Downloading new data (commits, branches) from the remote repository without merging it into your local branch. Use fetch to see what has changed before you integrate.
Fork
A personal copy of someone else’s repository on GitHub. Forking lets you freely experiment with changes without affecting the original project. You can later propose your changes back via a pull request.
.gitignore
A special file listing patterns of files and directories that git should not track (e.g. build outputs, temporary files, credentials).
History
The ordered sequence of all commits in a repository, forming a timeline of every change ever made.
Issue
A GitHub feature for tracking tasks, bug reports, feature requests, and discussions related to a repository.
Main (branch)
The default primary branch of a repository (historically called master). This is typically the stable, production-ready version of the project.
Merge
Combining changes from one branch into another. If there are no conflicts, git performs this automatically; otherwise, a manual conflict resolution is needed.
Origin
The default name for the remote repository on GitHub that your local repository was cloned from. When you push or pull, you are typically communicating with origin.
Pull
Downloading and merging changes from the remote repository into your current local branch. Equivalent to a fetch followed by a merge.
Pull Request (PR)
A proposal on GitHub to merge changes from one branch into another. Pull requests facilitate code review, discussion, and approval before changes are integrated.
Push
Uploading your local commits to the remote repository (typically origin on GitHub) so that others can see and use your changes.
Remote
A version of your repository hosted on a server (e.g. GitHub). The most common remote is called origin.
Repository (Repo)
A project folder tracked by git. It contains all project files plus the complete history of changes. Repositories can be local (on your computer) or remote (on GitHub).
Revert
Creating a new commit that undoes the changes introduced by a previous commit. This is the safest way to undo work because it preserves history.
Tag
A label attached to a specific commit, typically used to mark release versions (e.g. v1.0.0).