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Maven / GIT Interview Questions

What is the difference between a GIT tag and a branch?

In Git, both branches and tags are pointers to specific commits, but they serve different roles in the development lifecycle.

Git: Feature, Branch, Tag Comparison
Feature Branch Tag
Purpose Used for active development (features, bug fixes). Used to mark milestones (releases, version numbers).
Movement Mutable: The pointer moves forward automatically when you add new commits. Immutable: Once set, it stays on that specific commit forever (unless manually forced to move).
Lifecycle Usually temporary; deleted after merging into the main line. Usually permanent; kept for historical reference to specific software versions.
Storage Located in .git/refs/heads/. Located in .git/refs/tags/.

When to Use Which?

Use a Branch if you intend to add more commits to that line of work. Use a Tag if you want to "freeze" a version so you can return to that exact code state later, regardless of future development.

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