A repository is a centralized digital storage that developers use to make and manage changes to an applications source code. It is a data structure that stores metadata for a set of files or directory structure). A repository can be thought of as a folder created on the cloud that contains a set of programming files that collectively make an application. Repositories have many features like adding, deleting, or modifying files. Other key features include versioning, information about who created and updated the files, and at what time they were created.
A repository is a place where data is stored and maintained in an organized way, typically in computer storage. It can be directly accessible to users without having to travel across a network, or it can be a place in which specific databases, files, or documents are stored for access or distribution. A repository can be the aggregation of the data itself into an accessible place of storage, or it could allow for selective extraction of data.
In software development, a Git repository is the .git/ folder inside a project that tracks all changes made to files in the project, building a history over time. A repository allows software development teams to implement multiple changes to a software’s program code without compromising the main source code. Instead of applying the changes directly to the main branch, they use features in a repo to edit and review the changes, reducing merging conflict when two or more developers are editing the same part of the code.
