Git Hooks: Automating Workflows Quiz Quiz

Explore essential concepts of Git Hooks and how they can streamline development workflows with automation. This quiz covers hook types, configurations, usage scenarios, and best practices related to automating tasks with Git Hooks.

1. Identifying Commit Hook Types

   Which Git Hook would you use to automatically run a script right before a commit message editor opens to enforce a commit message template?

   1. post-merge
   2. pre-push
   3. pre-rebase
   4. prepare-commit-msg

   Explanation: The 'prepare-commit-msg' hook executes just before the commit message editor opens, making it ideal for applying or enforcing commit message templates automatically. 'Pre-push' is triggered before pushing to a remote, not during commit message creation. 'Post-merge' runs after merging changes, unrelated to commits. 'Pre-rebase' triggers before a rebase begins, also unrelated to commit messages.

2. Hook Storage and Execution

   In a collaborative project, where should Git Hook scripts be placed for them to be recognized and executed by Git during workflow events?

   1. .git/hooks directory inside the repository
   2. global system path for all users
   3. root project folder next to the .gitignore file
   4. remote repository server's config folder

   Explanation: Git looks for hook scripts in the .git/hooks directory of the local repository, and only scripts placed here will be executed by Git automatically. The project root or .gitignore location is not recognized by Git for hooks. The global system path may contain templates but is not used for individual repos. Remote server configurations manage access and settings but not local hook execution.

3. Automating Tests Before Push

   You want to ensure that automated tests run successfully each time before code is pushed to a shared repository. Which Git Hook should be used for this purpose?

   1. pre-applypatch
   2. post-rewrite
   3. post-commit
   4. pre-push

   Explanation: The 'pre-push' hook is specifically designed to run scripts before a push operation, making it perfect for running and verifying tests before sharing code. 'Post-commit' runs after each commit, not during pushing. 'Pre-applypatch' is seldom used and relates to applying patches, not pushing. 'Post-rewrite' deals with rewriting commits, not test automation before pushes.

4. Understanding Hook Script Permissions

   After writing a shell script for a pre-commit hook on a Unix-based system, which important step must you perform to ensure the hook is executed by Git when making a commit?

   1. Set the executable permission on the script
   2. Add the script to the ignore list
   3. Place the script in the parent directory of .git
   4. Rename the script with a .txt extension

   Explanation: Git requires that hook scripts in the .git/hooks directory have executable permissions to run them automatically. Adding the script to an ignore list prevents tracking but does not enable execution. Renaming it with a .txt extension or placing it outside the .git/hooks directory are incorrect, as Git will not recognize or execute the script in those cases.

5. Sharing Hooks with Team Members

   What is a common practice to help ensure custom Git Hooks are used by all team members, given that hooks are not tracked by version control by default?

   1. Push hooks directly to the .git/hooks folder through version control
   2. Rely on the .githooksignore file to sync hooks
   3. Store hooks in a separate directory under version control and provide setup instructions
   4. Set up hooks in the .gitconfig file remotely

   Explanation: Since Git does not track the .git/hooks folder, it is common to store hook scripts in a version-controlled directory (like scripts/hooks) and provide setup instructions so other team members can copy them into their .git/hooks directories. There is no .githooksignore file for synchronizing hooks, and .gitconfig is used for configuration settings, not for scripts. Git cannot push files directly to the .git/hooks folder through normal version control operations.