Git References and Branch Tips Quiz

Review

1. What is a local branch in Git's reference model?

   The Git glossary defines refs as names that point to objects or other refs and identifies refs/heads/ as the namespace for local branches.
2. What happens when `git branch experiment` is run with no start point?

   The official git-branch documentation says the creation form creates a branch head at the current HEAD when no start point is supplied and does not switch the working tree.
3. Why can two branch names resolve to the same commit ID?

   A ref is a name pointing to an object name, so more than one ref may identify the same commit object.
4. After a new commit is made while `experiment` is checked out, why can `main` still identify the previous commit?

   Branch refs are separate names. Advancing one branch changes that ref's tip and does not automatically move another branch ref.
5. What does `git rev-parse --symbolic-full-name main` help reveal?

   The official git-rev-parse documentation says --symbolic-full-name shows full refnames for inputs that name refs.
6. What does `git rev-parse --verify main^{commit}` verify?

   The official git-rev-parse documentation describes --verify and ^{commit} as ways to require a valid revision that resolves to a commit-ish and print its object name.
7. What should an object-ID inventory comparison show when a branch ref is created but no commit is made?

   Branch creation creates a ref pointing at an existing commit; it does not require a new commit object.
8. Which statement best describes a branch tip?

   The Git glossary defines the tip as the most recent commit on a branch and says it is referenced by a branch head.