Fork: Your own copy of someone else’s repository on GitHub or a similar service, which you can change without affecting the original.
Example
To contribute to an open-source project, you fork it, make changes in your copy and then open a Pull Request to the original.
Why Fork matters for IT interns
Forks are common in open source. Inside companies, teams usually use branches instead.
Where you will hear it
You will use this term almost daily when working on code with a team, through Git, GitHub, or a similar tool. If someone uses it and you are not sure what they mean in your project, it is completely fine to ask; every team uses terms a little differently.
Related terms
- Clone: Downloading a full copy of a remote repository, including its history, to your own computer.
- Commit: A saved snapshot of your changes in Git, with a short message describing what you changed.
- Feature Branch: A branch created for one specific feature, fix or task.
- Git: The tool most software teams use to keep track of every change made to the code.
- GitHub: A website that stores Git repositories online and adds team features like Pull Requests, code review and…
- Main Branch: The primary branch of a repository, holding the stable, accepted code.
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Related guides
Frequently asked questions
What is Fork?
Your own copy of someone else’s repository on GitHub or a similar service, which you can change without affecting the original.
What is an example of Fork?
To contribute to an open-source project, you fork it, make changes in your copy and then open a Pull Request to the original.
Why does Fork matter for IT interns?
Forks are common in open source. Inside companies, teams usually use branches instead.
Explore more internship terms
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About the author
Dhaivat has 16+ years of experience in the IT industry, working on AI and cloud technologies, project delivery, and engineering leadership. He has interviewed and mentored many interns, wrote The Lost Intern, and runs the non-commercial Career Impact Initiative, mentoring students for free.