What is GitHub's issue tracking and project management?
Why Interviewers Ask This
This question targets practical, hands-on experience with Git & GitHub. Interviewers want to see if you've worked with these concepts in real projects, not just read about them. Strong answers include concrete examples.
Answer
GitHub provides integrated project management tools directly in repositories. Issues are the fundamental unit — used for bug reports, feature requests, tasks, and discussions. Features: markdown formatting, labels (categorize: bug, enhancement, documentation), milestones (group issues for a release/sprint), assignees, linked PRs, reactions. Closing issues from commits: git commit -m "Fix login redirect, closes #123" — when pushed to default branch, automatically closes issue #123. Keywords: closes, fixes, resolves (and variants). Labels: color-coded tags for filtering and triage. Common labels: bug, enhancement, good first issue (for contributors), help wanted, wontfix, duplicate, priority:high. Milestones: group issues/PRs for a sprint or release. Track progress as percentage complete. Projects (GitHub Projects): board and table views with custom fields, status columns, and automation. Can aggregate issues/PRs across multiple repositories. Views: board (Kanban), table (spreadsheet), roadmap. Automation: auto-add new issues to projects, auto-move to "Done" when PR merges. Discussions: forum-style conversations for Q&A, announcements, and general discussions separate from issues.
Pro Tip
Back up your answer with a specific project or situation. Saying 'In my last Git & GitHub project, I used this when...' immediately makes your answer more credible and memorable.