Front-end Web Development Version Control Syllabus

Version Control syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Version Control in Front-end Web Development, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Git Basics

   3 topics

   • Repository Initialization
   • Committing Changes
   • Branching
2. 2

   GitHub

   3 topics

   • Repositories
   • Pull Requests
   • Collaboration

Version Control flashcards for Front-end Web Development

23 of 50 cards from the Version Control deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is version control (a.k.a. source control)?

   A system that records changes to files over time so you can recall, compare, and restore specific versions later. It tracks history, enables collaboration, and supports parallel lines of development.

2. What is the difference between a centralized version control system (CVCS) and a distributed version control system (DVCS)?

   In a CVCS (e.g., SVN) a single central server holds the repository and clients check out working copies. In a DVCS (e.g., Git) every clone is a full copy of the repository including its entire history, so most operations are local and there is no single point of failure.

3. What command initializes a new Git repository in the current directory?

   git init — it creates a hidden .git subdirectory that stores all metadata, objects, and history for the repository.

4. What does the .git directory contain after running git init?

   All repository data: the object database (commits, trees, blobs), refs (branches and tags), the HEAD pointer, the config file, hooks, and the index (staging area).

5. How do you create a local copy of an existing remote repository?

   git clone <url> — it copies the entire repository (full history and all branches) and automatically sets up a remote named origin pointing to the source URL.

6. What is the difference between git init and git clone?

   git init creates a brand-new empty repository in an existing or new directory; git clone copies an already-existing remote repository, including its history, and configures a remote (origin).

7. What are the three main states a file can be in within a Git working area?

   Modified (changed but not yet staged), Staged (marked to go into the next commit), and Committed (safely stored in the local database).

8. What are the three main sections of a Git project?

   The working directory (your checked-out files), the staging area / index (changes prepared for the next commit), and the .git directory / repository (where committed history is stored).

9. What command stages changes for the next commit?

   git add <file> (or git add . to stage everything). It moves changes from the working directory into the staging area/index.

10. What command records the staged changes into the repository history?

    git commit — typically git commit -m "message" to record staged changes with a descriptive commit message.

11. What does the -m flag do in git commit -m "message"?

    It supplies the commit message inline on the command line, so Git does not open the default text editor to prompt for one.

12. What does git commit -a (or -am) do?

    It automatically stages all already-tracked modified files and commits them in one step, skipping a separate git add. It does NOT include new (untracked) files.

13. What is a commit in Git?

    A snapshot of the entire project at a point in time, identified by a unique SHA-1 hash, containing the author, committer, timestamp, message, and a pointer to its parent commit(s).

14. What uniquely identifies each commit in Git?

    A 40-character SHA-1 hash computed from the commit's content (tree, parents, author, message). It is often abbreviated to the first 7 characters.

15. What command shows the commit history?

    git log — it lists commits in reverse chronological order with their hashes, authors, dates, and messages. Flags like --oneline, --graph, and --all change the format.

16. What command shows the current state of the working directory and staging area?

    git status — it reports staged, modified, and untracked files plus the current branch and its relationship to the remote.

17. What is the purpose of a .gitignore file?

    It lists file patterns that Git should intentionally ignore (e.g., build artifacts, secrets, dependencies), preventing them from being tracked or staged.

18. How do you view the differences between the working directory and the last commit?

    git diff shows unstaged changes; git diff --staged (or --cached) shows changes that are staged but not yet committed.

19. What is a branch in Git?

    A lightweight, movable pointer to a specific commit. It represents an independent line of development; creating one just creates a new pointer rather than copying files.

20. What is the default branch name in a new Git repository?

    Historically master; in modern Git and platforms like GitHub the default is main.

21. What command creates a new branch?

    git branch <name> creates the branch (without switching to it); git checkout -b <name> or git switch -c <name> creates it and switches to it.

22. What command switches your working directory to a different branch?

    git checkout <branch> or the newer git switch <branch>. HEAD then points to that branch and the working tree updates to match.

23. What is HEAD in Git?

    A reference to the current commit you have checked out — usually a symbolic pointer to the tip of the current branch. It determines the parent of your next commit.

See more Version Control flashcards →

Planning Version Control for Front-end Web Development

Version Control (Front-end Web Development) FAQ