Git Interview Questions

Difference between git merge and git rebase in an automation repo?

Merge vs rebase — what do you use on an automation repository?

Rebase your own feature branch onto main to keep a linear history, merge (with a PR) into main; never rebase a branch other people have already pulled.

How do you move one fix into another branch without merging everything?

git cherry-pick the specific commit (or range) onto the target branch; for a partial file change, commit the hunk separately first so there is a clean commit to pick.

What branching strategy works for a shared automation repository?

Trunk-based: short-lived branches off main, PR review with the suite running in CI, squash merge, and release branches only when the product itself is branched.

A commit broke the suite — how do you find and undo it?

git bisect to binary-search the first bad commit, then git revert it on main; use reset only on local, unpushed history.

What is working tree and index, and why does it matter in Git?

working tree and index is a core Git concept used to make testing decisions more accurate, repeatable, and aligned with product risk.

How would you apply working tree and index in a production Git project?

Apply working tree and index through an explicit, repeatable design: define the expected behavior, automate the highest-risk path, capture useful diagnostics, and verify the result against a stable oracle.

What is commits, and why does it matter in Git?

commits is a core Git concept used to make testing decisions more accurate, repeatable, and aligned with product risk.

How would you apply commits in a production Git project?

Apply commits through an explicit, repeatable design: define the expected behavior, automate the highest-risk path, capture useful diagnostics, and verify the result against a stable oracle.

What is branches, and why does it matter in Git?

branches is a core Git concept used to make testing decisions more accurate, repeatable, and aligned with product risk.

How would you apply branches in a production Git project?

Apply branches through an explicit, repeatable design: define the expected behavior, automate the highest-risk path, capture useful diagnostics, and verify the result against a stable oracle.

What is merge, and why does it matter in Git?

merge is a core Git concept used to make testing decisions more accurate, repeatable, and aligned with product risk.

How would you apply merge in a production Git project?

Apply merge through an explicit, repeatable design: define the expected behavior, automate the highest-risk path, capture useful diagnostics, and verify the result against a stable oracle.

What is rebase, and why does it matter in Git?

rebase is a core Git concept used to make testing decisions more accurate, repeatable, and aligned with product risk.

How would you apply rebase in a production Git project?

Apply rebase through an explicit, repeatable design: define the expected behavior, automate the highest-risk path, capture useful diagnostics, and verify the result against a stable oracle.

What is merge conflicts, and why does it matter in Git?

merge conflicts is a core Git concept used to make testing decisions more accurate, repeatable, and aligned with product risk.

How would you apply merge conflicts in a production Git project?

Apply merge conflicts through an explicit, repeatable design: define the expected behavior, automate the highest-risk path, capture useful diagnostics, and verify the result against a stable oracle.

What is cherry-pick, and why does it matter in Git?

cherry-pick is a core Git concept used to make testing decisions more accurate, repeatable, and aligned with product risk.

How would you apply cherry-pick in a production Git project?

Apply cherry-pick through an explicit, repeatable design: define the expected behavior, automate the highest-risk path, capture useful diagnostics, and verify the result against a stable oracle.

What is revert versus reset, and why does it matter in Git?

revert versus reset is a core Git concept used to make testing decisions more accurate, repeatable, and aligned with product risk.

How would you apply revert versus reset in a production Git project?

Apply revert versus reset through an explicit, repeatable design: define the expected behavior, automate the highest-risk path, capture useful diagnostics, and verify the result against a stable oracle.

What is interactive rebase, and why does it matter in Git?

interactive rebase is a core Git concept used to make testing decisions more accurate, repeatable, and aligned with product risk.

How would you apply interactive rebase in a production Git project?

Apply interactive rebase through an explicit, repeatable design: define the expected behavior, automate the highest-risk path, capture useful diagnostics, and verify the result against a stable oracle.

What is stash, and why does it matter in Git?

stash is a core Git concept used to make testing decisions more accurate, repeatable, and aligned with product risk.

How would you apply stash in a production Git project?

Apply stash through an explicit, repeatable design: define the expected behavior, automate the highest-risk path, capture useful diagnostics, and verify the result against a stable oracle.

What is reflog, and why does it matter in Git?

reflog is a core Git concept used to make testing decisions more accurate, repeatable, and aligned with product risk.

How would you apply reflog in a production Git project?

Apply reflog through an explicit, repeatable design: define the expected behavior, automate the highest-risk path, capture useful diagnostics, and verify the result against a stable oracle.

What is tags, and why does it matter in Git?

tags is a core Git concept used to make testing decisions more accurate, repeatable, and aligned with product risk.

How would you apply tags in a production Git project?

Apply tags through an explicit, repeatable design: define the expected behavior, automate the highest-risk path, capture useful diagnostics, and verify the result against a stable oracle.

What is remote tracking branches, and why does it matter in Git?

remote tracking branches is a core Git concept used to make testing decisions more accurate, repeatable, and aligned with product risk.

How would you apply remote tracking branches in a production Git project?

Apply remote tracking branches through an explicit, repeatable design: define the expected behavior, automate the highest-risk path, capture useful diagnostics, and verify the result against a stable oracle.

What is fetch versus pull, and why does it matter in Git?

fetch versus pull is a core Git concept used to make testing decisions more accurate, repeatable, and aligned with product risk.

How would you apply fetch versus pull in a production Git project?

Apply fetch versus pull through an explicit, repeatable design: define the expected behavior, automate the highest-risk path, capture useful diagnostics, and verify the result against a stable oracle.

What is force push safety, and why does it matter in Git?

force push safety is a core Git concept used to make testing decisions more accurate, repeatable, and aligned with product risk.

How would you apply force push safety in a production Git project?

Apply force push safety through an explicit, repeatable design: define the expected behavior, automate the highest-risk path, capture useful diagnostics, and verify the result against a stable oracle.

What is squash merges, and why does it matter in Git?

squash merges is a core Git concept used to make testing decisions more accurate, repeatable, and aligned with product risk.

How would you apply squash merges in a production Git project?

Apply squash merges through an explicit, repeatable design: define the expected behavior, automate the highest-risk path, capture useful diagnostics, and verify the result against a stable oracle.

What is bisect, and why does it matter in Git?

bisect is a core Git concept used to make testing decisions more accurate, repeatable, and aligned with product risk.

How would you apply bisect in a production Git project?

Apply bisect through an explicit, repeatable design: define the expected behavior, automate the highest-risk path, capture useful diagnostics, and verify the result against a stable oracle.

What is hooks, and why does it matter in Git?

hooks is a core Git concept used to make testing decisions more accurate, repeatable, and aligned with product risk.

How would you apply hooks in a production Git project?

Apply hooks through an explicit, repeatable design: define the expected behavior, automate the highest-risk path, capture useful diagnostics, and verify the result against a stable oracle.

What is submodules, and why does it matter in Git?

submodules is a core Git concept used to make testing decisions more accurate, repeatable, and aligned with product risk.

How would you apply submodules in a production Git project?

Apply submodules through an explicit, repeatable design: define the expected behavior, automate the highest-risk path, capture useful diagnostics, and verify the result against a stable oracle.

What is Git LFS, and why does it matter in Git?

Git LFS is a core Git concept used to make testing decisions more accurate, repeatable, and aligned with product risk.

How would you apply Git LFS in a production Git project?

Apply Git LFS through an explicit, repeatable design: define the expected behavior, automate the highest-risk path, capture useful diagnostics, and verify the result against a stable oracle.

What is branch protection, and why does it matter in Git?

branch protection is a core Git concept used to make testing decisions more accurate, repeatable, and aligned with product risk.

How would you apply branch protection in a production Git project?

Apply branch protection through an explicit, repeatable design: define the expected behavior, automate the highest-risk path, capture useful diagnostics, and verify the result against a stable oracle.

What is trunk-based development, and why does it matter in Git?

trunk-based development is a core Git concept used to make testing decisions more accurate, repeatable, and aligned with product risk.

How would you apply trunk-based development in a production Git project?

Apply trunk-based development through an explicit, repeatable design: define the expected behavior, automate the highest-risk path, capture useful diagnostics, and verify the result against a stable oracle.

What is pull request hygiene, and why does it matter in Git?

pull request hygiene is a core Git concept used to make testing decisions more accurate, repeatable, and aligned with product risk.

How would you apply pull request hygiene in a production Git project?

Apply pull request hygiene through an explicit, repeatable design: define the expected behavior, automate the highest-risk path, capture useful diagnostics, and verify the result against a stable oracle.