Fork and pull request workflow in Git - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is a fork in GitHub?

A fork is a personal copy of someone else's repository. It lets you freely make changes without affecting the original project.

beginner

What is a pull request?

A pull request is a way to ask the original project owner to review and merge your changes from your fork into their repository.

intermediate

Why do we use forks and pull requests instead of pushing directly to the main repository?

Forks and pull requests keep the main project safe. They let others review your changes before adding them, preventing mistakes or unwanted code.

beginner

What is the typical first step after forking a repository?

Clone your fork to your local computer so you can work on the code using Git commands.

beginner

What happens after you create a pull request?

The project maintainers review your changes. They may ask for improvements or approve and merge your code into the main project.

What does a fork create in GitHub?

A A new branch in the original repository

B A backup of your local files

C A personal copy of a repository

D A pull request

A fork creates a personal copy of the repository under your GitHub account.

What is the main purpose of a pull request?

A To clone a repository

B To request merging your changes into the original repository

C To delete a branch

D To create a new repository

Pull requests ask the original project to review and merge your changes.

Which step comes first in the fork and pull request workflow?

A Create a pull request

B Review code

C Merge changes

D Fork the repository

You first fork the repository to create your own copy.

Why is it important to work on a fork instead of the original repository?

A To avoid affecting the original project directly

B To delete the original project

C To speed up cloning

D To create a backup

Working on a fork keeps the original project safe from unwanted changes.

What do maintainers usually do after receiving a pull request?

A Review and decide to merge or request changes

B Delete the fork

C Clone the fork

D Create a new branch

Maintainers review pull requests to ensure quality before merging.

Explain the fork and pull request workflow from start to finish.

Think about the steps you take to contribute to a project you don't own.

Why is the fork and pull request workflow important for collaboration?

Consider how teams avoid mistakes and keep projects organized.

Practice

1. What is the main purpose of forking a repository in the fork and pull request workflow?

easy

A. To clone the repository locally without any changes

B. To delete the original project

C. To create a personal copy of the project to work on independently

D. To merge changes directly into the original repository

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the concept of forking

   Forking creates a personal copy of the original project on your GitHub account, allowing you to work independently without affecting the original.

2. Step 2: Identify the purpose in the workflow

   This personal copy lets you safely make changes and experiment before proposing them back to the original project.

3. Final Answer:

   To create a personal copy of the project to work on independently -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Fork = personal copy for safe work [OK]

Hint: Fork means copy project to your account for safe changes [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing fork with clone
• Thinking fork deletes original
• Assuming fork merges changes automatically

2. Which command correctly pushes a new branch named feature1 to your forked repository?

easy

A. git push origin main

B. git push upstream feature1

C. git push fork feature1

D. git push origin feature1

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify the remote name for your fork

   By default, your fork is set as the remote named origin. The original repository is usually upstream.

2. Step 2: Use the correct push syntax

   To push a branch named feature1 to your fork, use git push origin feature1.

3. Final Answer:

   git push origin feature1 -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Push branch to origin (your fork) = git push origin branch [OK]

Hint: Push new branch to origin, not upstream [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using upstream instead of origin for push
• Pushing main branch instead of feature branch
• Using incorrect remote name like fork

3. After forking a repo and pushing a branch fix-bug to your fork, what is the next step to propose your changes to the original project?

medium

A. Directly push fix-bug branch to the original repository

B. Create a pull request from your fork's fix-bug branch to the original repo

C. Merge fix-bug branch locally without pushing

D. Delete your fork and clone the original repo again

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the pull request purpose

   A pull request asks the original project to review and merge your changes from your fork's branch.

2. Step 2: Identify the correct action after pushing

   After pushing your branch to your fork, you create a pull request targeting the original repository's branch.

3. Final Answer:

   Create a pull request from your fork's fix-bug branch to the original repo -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Push branch then create pull request [OK]

Hint: Push branch, then open pull request to original repo [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Trying to push directly to original repo without permission
• Merging locally without sharing changes
• Deleting fork before proposing changes

4. You forked a repo and created a branch update-docs. You pushed it but forgot to sync your fork with the original repo first. What problem might occur when creating a pull request?

medium

A. Merge conflicts due to outdated fork base

B. Your pull request will be automatically merged

C. Your branch will be deleted automatically

D. No changes will be visible in the pull request

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand syncing forks

   If your fork is behind the original repo, your branch may not include recent changes from the original.

2. Step 2: Identify the pull request impact

   This can cause merge conflicts when the original repo tries to merge your changes because the base is outdated.

3. Final Answer:

   Merge conflicts due to outdated fork base -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Outdated fork causes merge conflicts [OK]

Hint: Always sync fork before starting new branch [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming pull request merges automatically
• Thinking branch deletes itself
• Believing changes won't show without sync

5. You forked a project and created two branches: featureA and featureB. You pushed both branches to your fork. How do you create pull requests so the original repo can review and merge these features independently?

hard

A. Create separate pull requests for each branch targeting the original repo's main branch

B. Create one pull request combining both branches

C. Push both branches to upstream and wait for automatic merge

D. Merge featureB into featureA locally, then create a single pull request

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand pull request scope

   Each pull request represents changes from one branch to the original repo, allowing independent review.

2. Step 2: Apply to multiple branches

   To keep features separate, create one pull request per branch targeting the original repo's main branch.

3. Final Answer:

   Create separate pull requests for each branch targeting the original repo's main branch -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   One pull request per branch for independent review [OK]

Hint: Make one pull request per branch for clear reviews [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Combining branches in one pull request
• Pushing branches directly to upstream without PR
• Merging branches locally before PR