GH-900 GitHub Foundations Questions and Answers

A GitHub repository serves as a collaborative space where developers can share and manage code files, track changes, and store revision history. It is much more than just a folder or simple tool; it is a comprehensive version control system that allows teams to collaborate effectively on codebases. Repositories enable developers to work together, manage contributions, review code, and maintain a complete history of every change made to the project.

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In a Git repository, a file can be in one of the following three valid states:

Committed: The file is saved in the local repository. It is part of the permanent history of the project.

Modified: The file has been changed but not yet staged or committed. It is in the working directory.

Staged: The file has been marked to be included in the next commit. It is in the staging area, ready to be committed.

These states represent the typical lifecycle of a file as it moves through the process of being edited, reviewed, and saved in Git.

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For private repositories on GitHub, the Wiki is accessible to anyone who has Read access to the repository. This means that if you can view the code and files in the repository, you can also view its Wiki. This makes Wikis a useful tool for documenting projects in a way that is available to all collaborators without requiring special permissions beyond those needed to access the repository itself.

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GitHub provides several pre-defined repository roles that determine the level of access and permissions a user has within a repository. The roles that are included by default are:

Triage: Allows users to manage issues and pull requests without write access to the code.

Maintain: Provides more extensive access, including managing settings, but without full administrative control.

Write: Grants permission to push changes and manage issues and pull requests.

Roles like "Security" and "Delete" are not standard pre-defined roles, and "View" is generally referred to as "Read" in GitHub's permission structure.

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As mentioned in the answer to Question no. 66, GitHub Actions workflows can reference actions from a variety of sources:

Any Public Repository:

Option A is correct. Actions can be sourced from any public GitHub repository.

The Same Repository as Your Workflow File:

Option B is correct. Actions within the same repository as the workflow file can be referenced directly.

A Published Docker Container Image on Docker Hub:

Option E is correct. Workflows can also use actions provided as Docker container images from Docker Hub.

Incorrect Options:

Option C and D are not relevant for directly referencing actions in workflows.

GitHub's community is centered around enabling developers to collaborate and innovate together. The platform provides tools and environments that foster open communication, sharing of ideas, and collective problem-solving.

Facilitating Collaboration and Creativity:

Option C is correct because GitHub is designed to be a collaborative platform where developers can work together on projects, share code, and contribute to open source initiatives, all in an environment that encourages creativity.

Incorrect Options:

Option A is incorrect because GitHub is inclusive of developers of all skill levels, not just experienced ones.

Option B is incorrect because GitHub is not about creating a competitive environment; rather, it focuses on collaboration.

Option D is incorrect because while code quality is important, enforcing strict code quality standards is not the primary goal of the GitHub community.

Secret gists on GitHub are "unlisted" gists, meaning they are not publicly discoverable but can be viewed by anyone who has the URL.

Visibility of Secret Gists:

Option A is correct because secret gists can be viewed by anyone who has the direct URL, making them accessible yet unlisted.

Incorrect Options:

Option B is incorrect because secret gists do not require GitHub Enterprise; they are available on all GitHub accounts.

Option C is incorrect because secret gists do not appear on the gist Discover page.

Option D is incorrect because secret gists do not have an "assigned access" feature; access is determined by sharing the URL.

The CODEOWNERS file in a GitHub repository is used to define individuals or teams that are responsible for specific parts of the codebase. When changes are made to files or directories that match the patterns specified in the CODEOWNERS file, GitHub automatically requests reviews from the listed code owners.

Setting Reviewers Automatically:

Option D is correct because the primary purpose of a CODEOWNERS file is to automatically set reviewers for pull requests that affect the specified files or directories. This ensures that the appropriate team members are notified and review the changes before they are merged.

Incorrect Options:

Option A is incorrect because the CODEOWNERS file does not restrict who can edit specific files; it only influences who is required to review changes.

Option B is partially related but not fully accurate because while CODEOWNERS does require certain reviews, it does not mandate peer review for all code changes.

Option C is incorrect because the CODEOWNERS file does not define access permissions for the repository; it deals with code review processes.

In GitHub, when viewing the list of projects for an organization, a user can identify a GitHub Projects template by selecting the Templates tab. This tab specifically lists available templates that can be used to create new projects based on predefined structures and workflows.

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Innersource is a development practice where an organization adopts open-source development methodologies within its own internal environment. The primary goal of innersource is to break down silos and encourage collaboration across different teams within the organization.

Sharing Code Between Teams:

Option B is correct because innersource involves sharing code between teams within the organization, similar to how open-source communities share code across the public domain. This practice fosters collaboration, improves code quality, and allows for reuse of code, reducing duplication of efforts.

Incorrect Options:

Option A is incorrect because adopting open-source code into the organization is related to using open-source software, not specifically to innersource practices.

Option C is incorrect because removing open-source code from the organization is contrary to the principles of both open source and innersource.

Option D is incorrect because making all repositories publicly accessible refers to open source, not innersource. Innersource typically involves keeping code internal to the organization.

It is recommended to deploy from your feature branch before merging into the main branch to ensure the changes are verified and validated in a production environment. This practice helps in identifying any potential issues or bugs in a real-world scenario before the changes are permanently integrated into the main branch. By deploying from the feature branch, developers can catch and address issues early, reducing the risk of introducing bugs into the main branch, which is usually considered the stable branch.

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The terms Alpha and Beta are often used in software development to describe different stages of feature testing and release.

Alpha Features:

Option A is correct because Alpha features are typically in the early stages of development and are not available to the public. They are usually tested internally or by a limited audience.

Incorrect Options:

Option B is incorrect because Alpha features are often undocumented as they are in the early development phase.

Option C is incorrect because Alpha and Beta features usually do not offer Service Level Agreements (SLAs) due to their experimental nature.

Option D is incorrect because Beta features might offer limited support, but it is not guaranteed, especially compared to fully released features.

In GitHub Actions workflows, actions can be referenced from various sources depending on the needs of the workflow.

Any Public Repository:

Option A is correct. Actions can be referenced from any public GitHub repository, allowing the reuse of shared actions across multiple projects.

The Same Repository as Your Workflow File:

Option B is correct. Actions stored in the same repository as the workflow file can be referenced directly, which is common for custom actions specific to that project.

A Published Docker Container Image on Docker Hub:

Option E is correct. Workflows can reference actions that are provided as Docker container images hosted on Docker Hub, allowing integration of complex tools and environments.

Incorrect Options:

Option C (GitHub Packages) is incorrect as it is more commonly used for storing and managing dependencies, not actions.

Option D (An enterprise marketplace) is incorrect because GitHub Actions are not directly referenced from an enterprise marketplace but rather from public repositories or Docker images.

In GitHub, labels are used to categorize issues and pull requests, and certain default labels are provided to help manage tasks:

Help Wanted Label:

Option C is correct. The "Help wanted" label is used to indicate that the maintainer of the repository needs assistance on a particular issue or pull request. This label helps in attracting contributors who might be interested in helping with specific tasks.

Other Options:

Option A ("Enhancement") is incorrect because it indicates a request for a new feature or improvement rather than a call for help.

Option B ("Question") is incorrect because it is used to flag issues or pull requests that seek clarification or additional information, not necessarily requiring assistance.

Option D ("Documentation") is incorrect because it labels issues or PRs related to documentation, not for seeking help.

GitHub Mobile provides a streamlined experience for managing your GitHub notifications and participating in discussions, but it does not offer full functionality compared to the desktop or web interface.

Managing Notifications:

Option E is correct because GitHub Mobile allows users to manage notifications, keeping them up to date with their repositories, issues, pull requests, and other activities on GitHub.

Incorrect Options:

Option A is incorrect because GitHub Mobile cannot be used as a self-hosted runner.

Option B is incorrect because managing enterprise and organization settings is not supported in GitHub Mobile.

Option C is incorrect because GitHub Mobile does not offer a chat or voice calling feature.

Option D is incorrect because forking and cloning repositories are not actions available in GitHub Mobile.

The qualifier mentions: is used in GitHub's search functionality to find issues that mention a certain user. For example, if you want to find all issues where a specific user is mentioned, you would use mentions:username. This helps in tracking where a user has been involved in discussions across issues or pull requests.

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Git is a widely-used version control system that has several defining features:

Distributed Version Control:

Git is a distributed version control system, meaning that every developer has a full copy of the entire repository, including its history, on their local machine. This enables greater flexibility, as work can be done offline and each user has access to the full project history.

Open Source Software:

Git is open-source, meaning its source code is freely available for use, modification, and distribution. This fosters a large community of users and contributors who continuously improve the software.

Efficiency with Large Projects:

Git is designed to handle projects of any size with speed and efficiency. It can manage large codebases and many contributors without significant performance degradation, making it suitable for everything from small personal projects to large, complex software systems.

Incorrect Options:

Option B is incorrect because Git is not a sequential version control system, nor is it inherently tied to cloud-based services. GitHub, GitLab, and other platforms offer cloud hosting for Git repositories, but Git itself is a version control tool.

Option C is incorrect because Git is not limited to small projects; it is designed to scale efficiently, and the other features mentioned are only partial descriptions of Git's capabilities.

Option D is incorrect because Git is not a centralized version control system; it is distributed. Additionally, Git is open-source, not proprietary, and is used for projects of all sizes.

A gist on GitHub is essentially a Git repository, albeit a simplified one, designed for sharing snippets of code, notes, or other text content. Gists support version control and can be public or secret.

Gist as a Git Repository:

Option B is correct because each gist is a Git repository, meaning you can clone it, commit changes, and even fork it, just like any other Git repository.

Incorrect Options:

Option A is incorrect because a gist is not an app; it’s a feature of GitHub that provides a simplified repository.

Option C is incorrect because while a gist may contain Markdown documents, it is fundamentally a repository that can hold various file types.

Option D is incorrect because GitHub Pages is a separate service for hosting websites, not related to gists.

Creating a repository template in GitHub requires specific steps and permissions:

Creating a Repository Template:

Option A is correct because a user with Admin permissions can navigate to the repository's settings and enable the "Template Repository" option. This allows other users to generate new repositories from this template, which includes all branches, tags, and file history.

Other Options:

Option B is incorrect because "Maintain" permissions do not allow the creation of repository templates, and the option is not found in Organization settings but in the repository settings.

Option C is incorrect because the "Template Repository" option is in the repository settings, not in Organization settings.

Option D is incorrect because "Maintain" permissions do not grant the ability to create a repository template.