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You don’t need to learn Git commands to contribute with Replit. These concepts help you understand where your changes go and how your team reviews them.

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What is Git?

Git tracks changes to code over time. A repository contains the code and its history. GitHub and GitLab host repositories and provide collaboration tools; they are not Git itself. Editing your development copy in Replit does not immediately change the shared repository. Learn more: About Git on GitHub Docs.

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Branches

A branch is a separate line of work. Make your contribution on a branch so your team can review it before it joins the repository’s default branch, often called main. For example, the demo’s heading change can live on its own branch while the default branch stays unchanged. Learn more: About branches on GitHub Docs.

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Commits

A commit records a set of changes in Git history, with a message describing them. Pushing sends your local commits to the remote repository. In this example, one commit can record the new heading. A later commit can record a revision requested during review. Learn more: About commits on GitHub Docs.

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Pull requests

A pull request proposes bringing changes from one branch into another. Your team can inspect the changes, discuss them, and review checks before accepting the contribution. GitLab calls this a merge request. Opening a request does not merge or deploy your changes. Learn more: About pull requests on GitHub Docs.

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Merges

Merging incorporates changes into the target branch. If branches contain incompatible changes, a merge conflict may need to be resolved first. Merging and deploying are different actions. Your team may automate a deployment after merging, but that depends on its release setup. Learn more: Merging a pull request on GitHub Docs. Try this workflow in Make a contribution.