Master Version Control: 100 Advanced Interview Questions for Senior Developers

Basic Version Control Concepts

1. What is Version Control, and why is it essential in modern software development?
2. What are the primary differences between centralized and distributed version control systems?
3. Explain how Git works as a distributed version control system.
4. What is the role of a repository in version control?
5. What is a commit, and why is it crucial in version control?
6. Explain the concept of a branch in version control and how it is useful.
7. What is the purpose of tags in version control?
8. What are the differences between Git clone and Git fork?
9. How do merge and rebase operations differ in Git?
10. How does git pull differ from git fetch?

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Version Control with Git

1. What is the .gitignore file, and how do you use it effectively in Git?
2. Explain how you would handle a merge conflict in Git.
3. What is the difference between a fast-forward merge and a three-way merge?
4. How would you use Git bisect to debug a broken commit?
5. How can you stash changes in Git, and why is it useful?
6. What is Git rebase, and when should it be used?
7. Explain the concept of Git cherry-pick.
8. How do you revert a commit in Git?
9. What are Git hooks, and how are they used in workflows?
10. How can you track submodules in Git?

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Branching and Workflow in Git

1. What is the Git flow branching model, and how does it work?
2. How does the GitHub flow differ from Git flow?
3. What is the feature branching workflow in Git?
4. How do you handle hotfixes in Git?
5. How do you manage long-lived feature branches to ensure clean merges?
6. What is the best way to organize branches for a microservices architecture?
7. How do you ensure a smooth code review process using Git?
8. How do you configure and enforce branch protection rules?
9. How can you set up CI pipelines for different branches in Git?
10. What is the purpose of a release branch in version control?

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Git Collaboration Best Practices

1. How do you collaborate efficiently using Git in a distributed team?
2. How do you ensure a clean commit history while working in teams?
3. What are the best practices for writing commit messages?
4. What is the role of pull requests in Git, and how are they managed?
5. How do you handle large file management in Git (e.g., Git LFS)?
6. How do you manage code reviews in Git and Bitbucket?
7. How do you ensure security in version control systems?
8. What is code freezing, and how does it work with Git branching strategies?
9. How do you manage merge conflicts in collaborative environments?
10. How do you use Git tags for marking release versions?

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Advanced Version Control Techniques

1. What is the concept of Git rebasing and how does it differ from merging?
2. How would you use Git bisect to troubleshoot and find the commit that introduced a bug?
3. Explain the use of Git reflog and how you can recover from unwanted changes.
4. What is the process of git subtree merge, and when should it be used?
5. What are the best practices for squashing commits before merging into the main branch?
6. How would you handle a situation where you accidentally push sensitive data to a repository?
7. How do you rewrite commit history in Git and when is it appropriate to do so?
8. What is the role of submodules in Git, and how do they impact version control?
9. What is Git reset, and how does it differ from git checkout?
10. Explain Git tags and how they are used for versioning.

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Git with CI/CD Pipelines

1. How do you integrate Git with Jenkins for Continuous Integration?
2. How can Git be integrated into a CI/CD pipeline for automated deployment?
3. How can you use GitLab CI for continuous testing?
4. How do you configure GitHub Actions for automated deployment workflows?
5. How would you configure Git with Bitbucket Pipelines for continuous delivery?
6. What is the significance of Git branching strategies in CI/CD pipelines?
7. How do you ensure fast builds and deployments in CI pipelines when working with Git?
8. How do you integrate automated testing with Git commits in the CI/CD process?
9. How do you trigger Git workflows using webhooks in CI/CD pipelines?
10. How do you manage deployment workflows with Git in a microservices architecture?

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Version Control Security Best Practices

1. How do you manage access control for private repositories in Git?
2. How do you encrypt sensitive information in version control systems?
3. How do you prevent unauthorized changes to the repository using Git permissions?
4. How do you implement two-factor authentication (2FA) with GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket?
5. What are the best practices for securing Git credentials and avoiding leaks?
6. How can you audit access and activity on a Git repository?
7. What steps do you take to protect sensitive files in a Git repository?
8. How do you set up SSL/TLS encryption for Git operations?
9. How do you handle private repositories and ensure secure access?
10. How can you ensure compliance with GDPR or HIPAA when using Git?

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Git Performance Optimization

1. How do you handle large repositories in Git for performance efficiency?
2. How can you optimize clone times and reduce the size of a Git repository?
3. What is shallow cloning, and how can it improve Git performance?
4. How can you use Git sparse-checkout to optimize your repository working space?
5. How do you optimize Git workflows for teams with multiple contributors?
6. How can you minimize repository bloat in Git?
7. How do you handle big binary files in Git repositories?
8. What strategies would you use for managing large monorepos with Git?
9. How do you improve Git push/pull performance for large teams?
10. How do you handle Git refactors without negatively affecting repository performance?

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Git Troubleshooting and Debugging

1. How do you troubleshoot merge conflicts in Git?
2. What steps would you take to recover from a force push that altered the history?
3. How do you use git bisect to identify problematic commits?
4. How do you debug pipeline failures due to Git-related issues?
5. What is the process of unstaging files in Git, and how can you resolve issues with staged files?
6. How do you manage Git errors when working with remote repositories?
7. How would you fix a corrupted Git repository?
8. How can you detect and resolve Git merge conflicts in pull requests?
9. How do you handle commit history rewrites when collaborating with a team?
10. How do you manage Git conflicts in a multi-branch environment?

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Best Practices for Version Control

1. What are the best practices for commit messages in Git?
2. How do you handle large teams and ensure smooth version control workflows?
3. What are the best practices for branching strategies in distributed teams?
4. How do you ensure consistent code formatting through Git hooks?
5. How do you enforce code review policies using Git?
6. What is the importance of commit squashing and when should it be used?
7. How do you handle multiple Git remotes?
8. What are the best practices for managing release versions in Git?
9. How do you prevent merge hell and maintain a clean repository history?
10. What are the best practices for backup and disaster recovery in Git?

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