CPA Version Control & DevOps Practices Flashcards

What is the purpose of `git commit` in version control?

Answer: Records a snapshot of the staged changes in the local repository history

git commit saves a permanent snapshot of all staged changes into the local repository's history with an author, timestamp, and message.

In Git, what does the `git pull` command do?

Answer: Fetches remote changes and merges them into the current local branch

git pull is a combination of git fetch (downloading remote changes) and git merge (integrating them into the local branch).

What is a Git branch?

Answer: A lightweight movable pointer to a specific commit, enabling parallel lines of development

A Git branch is simply a named reference (pointer) to a commit, allowing developers to diverge from the main codebase and work independently.

What is Continuous Integration (CI)?

Answer: The practice of frequently merging developer code into a shared repository with automated builds and tests

CI is a practice where developers integrate code changes frequently, and each integration triggers automated build and test pipelines to detect errors early.

Which Git command creates a new local branch AND switches to it in one step (modern syntax)?

Answer: git switch -c new-feature

git switch -c is the modern command that both creates and checks out a new branch in a single step.

What does `git rebase` do compared to `git merge`?

Answer: Rebase re-applies commits on top of another base, producing a linear history; merge preserves branch topology

Rebase moves or replays commits onto a new base commit, creating a cleaner linear history, whereas merge creates a merge commit that preserves the original branch structure.