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ced4568andClaude Sonnet 5 e68b6f445a feat(root03): author Git & Collaborative Development
Adds all 6 ROOT 03 modules (why version control exists, the Git mental model, everyday Git,
branching & merging, remote repositories, engineering Git workflow) — 31 activities. Uses only
real LOCAL Git repositories throughout — no Gitea account, no network access, and no
RootNode-canonical-repo credential is ever needed or exposed in a student Lab
(docs/ROOT_FOUNDATIONS_LAB_STRATEGY.md §4). Modules 1, 2, and 6 are conceptual bookends with no
lab, matching the flexible readiness standard already used in ROOT 01/02.

Adds 3 new hands-on Git scenarios plus 2 MCQs: git-everyday-basics (init/add/commit, validated
by inspecting real `git log`/`git show` state, not just command output strings — Step 6's
explicit requirement), git-branching-and-merge (a REAL merge conflict caused on purpose by two
branches editing the same line, resolved by the student, validated by confirming the conflict
markers are gone and a real two-parent merge commit exists), and git-remote-clone-push (a real
local bare repository standing in for a remote — clone/commit/push validated by inspecting the
REMOTE side directly, not just the student's own clone). All tested end-to-end via the real
scenario-validation API, including negative tests.

Wires rootnode-git-fundamentals-assessment (2 required + 3 random-draw scenarios) using the
existing Phase 3B assessment engine.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 5 <[email protected]>
2026-08-26 17:08:00 -05:00

1.3 KiB

Knowledge Check: Everyday Git


1. What's the difference between git diff and git diff --staged?

Answer: git diff shows unstaged changes (working tree vs. last commit); git diff --staged shows what's currently staged and about to be committed (staging area vs. last commit).


2. Why is git add . potentially risky compared to git add <specific-file>?

Answer: It stages EVERYTHING currently changed in the directory, which can accidentally include files you didn't mean to commit — checking git status first (or using targeted git add) avoids this.


3. What makes a commit message actually useful months later?

Answer: Describing WHAT changed and ideally WHY, clearly enough that someone (including future-you) reading git log understands the change without re-reading the full diff.


4. You run git init in a directory that already has an existing Git repository. What happens?

Answer: git init only needs to run once per project — running it again in an already- initialized repository is harmless (it won't destroy existing history) but is never actually necessary.

Instructor Notes

Facilitation: Question 2 is a good moment to establish "check status before staging broadly" as a house habit for the rest of the course.

Approximate timing: 5 minutes.