AZ-400 Design and implement source control Practice Question
Network Topology
Refer to the exhibit. After executing the delete command, what is the state of the repository?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The tag v1.0-rc is removed, and the repository now contains only one tag (v1.0) and three branches.
The command deleted the tag refs/tags/v1.0-rc. After deletion, the tag is no longer available. The other refs (branches and tags) remain unchanged. The repository now has only one tag: v1.0. The branches main, develop, and feature/new-feature still exist.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The tag v1.0-rc is removed, but the commit it pointed to is also deleted from the repository.
Why it's wrong here
Deleting the tag v1.0-rc removes only the refs/tags/v1.0-rc pointer; Git does not automatically delete the commit object that the tag referenced. The commit remains in the object database and is still reachable through any other ref that points to it (for example, if a branch or another tag points to the same commit). Even if the commit were unreferenced, it would not disappear until a garbage collection pass (git gc) runs, and even then it would only be pruned if it is truly unreachable. Therefore, the commit is not deleted as a side effect of the tag deletion.
- ✗
The tag v1.0-rc is removed, and the branch feature/new-feature is also deleted because it was the same object.
Why it's wrong here
Deleting a tag removes only that tag ref; it never removes any branch, even if the tag and a branch point to the same commit. A branch ref (e.g., feature/new-feature) is an independent pointer in refs/heads, while the tag lives under refs/tags, so the branch remains completely unaffected and still exists after the delete.
- ✓
The tag v1.0-rc is removed, and the repository now contains only one tag (v1.0) and three branches.
Why this is correct
The delete command removes the tag ref refs/tags/v1.0-rc, which is the only operation performed; all other refs remain untouched. The repository still holds the tag ref refs/tags/v1.0, and the three branch refs (refs/heads/main, refs/heads/feature/new-feature, and refs/heads/feature/old-feature, as shown in the exhibit) are independent pointers under refs/heads. Because the tag deletion only removes that one ref under refs/tags, the net result is exactly one tag (v1.0) and three branches remaining.
- ✗
The command fails because the tag does not exist.
Why it's wrong here
The exhibit shows that v1.0-rc existed before the delete (it is listed among the refs), so the command is valid and succeeds. A git delete-tag operation only fails with 'tag does not exist' when no such tag ref is present, which is contradicted by the provided state.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Designing a Release Pipeline
Key term
Repository
A repository is a central storage location where software packages, code, or configuration files are kept, managed, and distributed for use by IT systems.
Key term
Feature
A feature is a distinct unit of functionality that delivers value to the user, often managed and tracked throughout the software development lifecycle.
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