Glossary : Appendix C

The following definitions explain the terminology used throughout the WayPoint Ventures documentation website.

Author outline

An author outline is a markdown file that contains (pre) written markdown elements, like tables or multilevel lists. Some courses/ projects provide author outlines in the project’s remote repo (as markdown files). You can copy the markdown elements from an author outline and paste them into your markdown file to create content quickly.
AzDevOps or Azure DevOps

Shortened version of Azure DevOps. Azure DevOps is a web service for hosting and sharing private repos (remote repos).
Base branch

When you merge a pull request the branch you merge into is the base branch.
Branch

An isolated compartment within a repo for storing and editing different versions of the same files, without affecting other versions of the files.
Clone

Short for the git clone command. Creates a copy of a repo with version control. For example, a user can download or clone a remote repo or fork from GitHub to their computer.
Collaborator

A collaborator is a person who has Read, Write, Admin, or other permissions to one or more repositories in your GitHub/ AzDevOps account.
Commit

Short for the git commit command. Puts or commits changes made to staged files onto the current repo’s file history/ timeline.
Compare branch

When you merge a pull request, the branch you merge from is the compare branch.
Fork

Forking is the process of copying a GitHub/ AzDevOps repository into your GitHub/ AzDevOps user account. The copy of the repository in your GitHub/ AzDevOps user account is called a fork.
Git

A system of software tools that implement version control by tracking changes made to files.
GitHub

A web service for hosting and sharing public and private repos (remote repos).
HEAD

The specific commit that a branch is currently set to. By default HEAD is usually the most recent commit.
Head branch

Another term for base branch.
Linting

Software that checks computer programming code and text, like markdown, for syntax errors is called a “linter”. The process of checking for syntax errors is called “linting”.
Local repo

A repo on your computer or network.
Master branch

The default branch Git creates within a repo. The master branch is commonly used to maintain the latest working version of the files on other branches, like “clean copy”.
Merge

Combines or merges changes made on one branch or repo into another.
Merge conflict

An error caused by attempts to merge branches that contain incompatible versions of the same file.
Pandoc

A free and open-source software program for converting documents.
Pull or Git pull

Short for the git pull command. Git pull gets the files stored in another repo or branch, and combines them with the files in the current repo or branch. For example, a user can download or “pull” the most recent files from GitHub and combine them with the files in their local repo.
Pull request

A request to pull changes from one branch or repo into another.
Push or Git push

Short for the git push command. Sends changes made to files in one repo to another repo. For example, a user can upload or “push” a modified version of a file from their local repo to GitHub.
Reference file or Reference

Pandoc is a software tool used to convert markdown files into Microsoft Word documents. During the file conversion process, Pandoc applies text styles that are defined in a reference file (like reference .dotx) to the Word Documents it creates. For example, for Heading 1 elements in a markdown file, like # Example heading 1, Pandoc applies the Heading 1 style that’s defined in the reference file to the Word Document it creates.
Remote repo

A repo on another computer, like GitHub’s servers.
Repository or Repo

A container for files that require version control.
Stage or Git add

Also called git add. A Git command that adds new or updated files to a holding or staging area in the current repo.
Style template or Template file

Pandoc is a software tool used to convert markdown files into Microsoft Word documents. After Pandoc creates a Word document, custom styles can be added into the document using a style template, like template .dotx. The style template file is “attached” to a converted Word document, and the custom styles from the style template are applied to the document’s contents in Word.
Version control

Manages the changes made to a file to maintain the correct (or most current) version of the file.
VSC

Short for Visual Studio Code. VSC is a software program made by Microsoft for editing computer programming code and text, like markdown.

Note: For a more comprehensive glossary, refer to the GitHub documentation page GitHub glossary.

⇠ FAQ

Links to useful resources ⇢