Fork (software development)

Imagine a tool you use to create a new toy out of clay. When you use the tool, you create a new toy that is your own version of the toy that someone else made. Fork in software development is kind of like that tool. It's a special tool that developers use to create their own version of a software program that already exists.

Let's say you and your friend like playing a game and you want to add some extra levels to the game, but your friend doesn't want to. You can use the fork tool to create your own version of the game that has the additional levels you want. This way, you and your friend can still play the game together, but you'll be playing slightly different versions of it.

When you use the fork tool, it creates a copy of the original software program, but the new copy is now yours to change however you want. You can add new features, fix bugs, or make any other changes you think are necessary to make the software better. However, your updated version will be different from the original and other versions that people have created using the tool.