Module 2 Exercises — Branching

Use the disposable student lab.

Challenge 1 — Predict branch movement

Create two commits on main, create a feature branch, add two more commits there, and draw the commit graph you expect before inspecting it.

Then run:

git log --oneline --graph --decorate --all

Explain what the branch names point to.

Challenge 2 — Fast-forward vs merge commit

Produce one merge that can fast-forward and one merge where both branches have diverged.

Before each merge, predict the resulting graph.

Pass when: you can explain why the outcomes differ without describing branches as folders or copies.

Challenge 3 — Branch cleanup

Merge a finished feature, verify the work is reachable from main, then delete the local feature branch.

Explain why deleting the branch name does not delete commits that remain reachable from main.

Boss check — Unknown graph

Create a small history with at least three branches and six commits. Leave it for a while, return without notes, inspect it, and explain which work is merged and which work remains isolated before running a merge command.