Why worktrees enable parallel work in Git - Test Your Understanding

Practice - 5 Tasks

1fill in blank

easy

Complete the command to create a new worktree named 'feature' from the branch 'main'.

Git

git worktree add [1] main

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

Afeature

Bmaster

Corigin

Ddev

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using 'master' instead of 'feature' creates a worktree with the wrong name.

Using 'origin' is incorrect because it's a remote, not a directory name.

The command git worktree add feature main creates a new worktree named 'feature' based on the 'main' branch, allowing parallel work.

2fill in blank

medium

Complete the command to list all existing worktrees.

Git

git worktree [1]

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

Acheck

Bstatus

Cshow

Dlist

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using 'status' or 'show' does not list worktrees.

Using 'check' is not a valid git worktree command.

The command git worktree list shows all the worktrees currently checked out, helping you see parallel workspaces.

3fill in blank

hard

Fix the error in the command to remove a worktree named 'feature'.

Git

git worktree [1] feature

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

Aremove

Bdelete

Cprune

Drm

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using 'prune' cleans up stale worktrees but does not target a specific one.

Using 'rm' is not a git worktree command.

The correct command to remove a worktree is git worktree remove feature, which removes the specified worktree.

4fill in blank

hard

Fill both blanks to create a new worktree named 'test' from branch 'dev' and switch to it.

Git

git worktree add [1] [2] && cd [1]

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

Atest

Bdev

Cmain

Dfeature

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using 'main' or 'feature' instead of 'dev' for the branch causes the wrong branch to be checked out.

Using a directory name different from the first blank in the cd command causes errors.

This command creates a new worktree directory 'test' from the 'dev' branch and then changes directory into it, enabling parallel work.

5fill in blank

hard

Fill all three blanks to explain how worktrees enable parallel work by creating separate directories, branches, and allowing simultaneous commits.

Git

Worktrees create separate [1], each linked to a [2], allowing [3] commits without interference.

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

Adirectories

Bbranches

Csimultaneous

Drepositories

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using 'repositories' instead of 'branches' is incorrect because worktrees share the same repository.

Using 'repositories' for the first blank is wrong because worktrees are directories inside one repo.

Worktrees create separate directories, each linked to a branch, allowing simultaneous commits without interference. This enables parallel work on different features.

Practice

1. What is the main benefit of using git worktree for parallel work?

easy

A. It deletes old branches to save space.

B. It automatically merges branches without conflicts.

C. It allows working on multiple branches simultaneously in separate folders.

D. It creates a backup of the entire repository.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand what git worktree does

   git worktree lets you check out multiple branches at once in different folders without cloning the repo multiple times.

2. Step 2: Compare options with this feature

   Only It allows working on multiple branches simultaneously in separate folders. correctly describes this benefit. Other options describe unrelated or incorrect features.

3. Final Answer:

   It allows working on multiple branches simultaneously in separate folders. -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Parallel branch work = It allows working on multiple branches simultaneously in separate folders. [OK]

Hint: Worktrees = multiple branches in separate folders [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking worktrees merge branches automatically
• Confusing worktrees with backups
• Assuming worktrees delete branches

2. Which command correctly creates a new worktree for branch feature in folder ../feature?

easy

A. git worktree create feature ../feature

B. git worktree add ../feature feature

C. git add worktree ../feature feature

D. git checkout worktree feature ../feature

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall correct syntax for adding a worktree

   The correct syntax is git worktree add <path> <branch>.

2. Step 2: Match options to syntax

   Only git worktree add ../feature feature matches this syntax exactly. Others use wrong commands or order.

3. Final Answer:

   git worktree add ../feature feature -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Correct add syntax = git worktree add ../feature feature [OK]

Hint: Use 'git worktree add <path> <branch>' to create worktree [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using 'create' instead of 'add'
• Mixing order of arguments
• Using 'git add' or 'git checkout' incorrectly

3. Given these commands executed in a repo:

git worktree add ../feature feature
cd ../feature
git status

What will git status show in the ../feature folder?

medium

A. On branch master, with changes from master branch.

B. Error: not a git repository.

C. Detached HEAD state with no branch.

D. On branch feature, with changes from that branch.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand what git worktree add ../feature feature does

   This creates a new folder ../feature checked out to the feature branch.

2. Step 2: Check git status in that folder

   Since the folder is a valid worktree on feature branch, git status shows branch feature and its changes.

3. Final Answer:

   On branch feature, with changes from that branch. -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Worktree folder branch = feature [OK]

Hint: Worktree folder tracks specified branch, not master [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming worktree defaults to master branch
• Thinking worktree folder is detached HEAD
• Confusing worktree folder with unrelated repo

4. You ran git worktree add ../dev feature but got an error: fatal: 'feature' is not a commit and a branch 'feature' cannot be created from it. What is the likely cause?

medium

A. The branch 'feature' does not exist in the repo.

B. The folder '../dev' already contains a git repo.

C. You forgot to commit changes before adding worktree.

D. You used 'git worktree create' instead of 'add'.

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze the error message

   The error says 'feature' is not a commit and branch cannot be created, meaning the branch does not exist.

2. Step 2: Match cause to options

   The branch 'feature' does not exist in the repo. matches this cause. Other options describe unrelated issues or wrong commands.

3. Final Answer:

   The branch 'feature' does not exist in the repo. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Branch must exist before adding worktree [OK]

Hint: Check branch exists before adding worktree [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming folder conflict causes this error
• Thinking uncommitted changes block worktree add
• Confusing 'add' with 'create' command

5. You want to work on two features in parallel without cloning the repo twice. You create two worktrees:

git worktree add ../feature1 feature1
git worktree add ../feature2 feature2

What is a key advantage of this approach compared to cloning twice?

hard

A. It saves disk space by sharing the same .git data.

B. It automatically syncs changes between branches.

C. It prevents any merge conflicts between branches.

D. It allows pushing both branches with one command.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand difference between worktrees and cloning

   Worktrees share the same repository data (.git) but have separate working folders, saving disk space.

2. Step 2: Evaluate options

   It saves disk space by sharing the same .git data. correctly states the disk space saving. Other options describe features not provided by worktrees.

3. Final Answer:

   It saves disk space by sharing the same .git data. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Worktrees share repo data, saving space [OK]

Hint: Worktrees share .git data, saving space vs cloning [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking worktrees auto-sync branches
• Assuming worktrees prevent merge conflicts
• Believing one push updates multiple branches