Git is the de facto version control system in software engineering. Understanding Git deeply — from its internal data model to advanced workflows — is essential for technical interviews and real-world engineering.
Every software company uses version control
Git knowledge is tested in interviews (directly and indirectly)
Understanding Git internals demonstrates systems thinking
Branching strategies affect team productivity and deployment safety
Git is a content-addressable filesystem — understanding it teaches fundamental CS concepts
Topic Description
Git Internals Objects, refs, HEAD, index, packfiles Git Fundamentals init, clone, add, commit, status, log, diff Branching & Merging branches, merge, fast-forward, merge conflicts Rebasing rebase, interactive rebase, rebase vs merge Stashing stash, stash pop, stash apply, stash branch Advanced Operations cherry-pick, revert, reset, reflog, bisect Remote Operations fetch, pull, push, remote tracking, upstream Tags & Releases lightweight tags, annotated tags, semver Git Hooks pre-commit, pre-push, commit-msg, server-side Worktrees & Submodules worktree management, submodule workflows Git Workflows trunk-based, GitFlow, GitHub Flow, release strategies GitHub & Code Review PRs, code review, branch protection, Actions Git Interview Questions common questions, traps, scenarios Git Cheat Sheet quick reference for all commands
Working Directory → Staging Area (Index) → Repository (.git) → Remote
(files) (git add) (git commit) (git push)
Concept Description
Blob Stores file content (not filename) Tree Maps filenames to blobs (like a directory) Commit Points to a tree + metadata (author, message, parent) Ref A pointer to a commit (branch, tag, HEAD) Index Staging area between working tree and repository HEAD Special ref pointing to the current branch/commit