Question

What is the difference between git pull and git fetch?

Answer 1

The primary difference between git pull and git fetch lies in what they do with the fetched data from the remote repository:

git fetch

• Function: Downloads objects and refs from another repository.
• Action: Only fetches data (like new commits) from the remote repository and stores it in your local repository, but does not merge it with your working files.
• Effect: After a git fetch, you will need to manually integrate (merge) the changes into your current branch.
• Usage: It's useful when you want to see what others have been working on without affecting your current branch.

git pull

• Function: Fetches from and integrates with another repository or a local branch.
• Action: Fetches data from the remote repository and immediately tries to merge it into your current branch.
• Effect: This command is a combination of git fetch and git merge. It will update your current branch with the fetched changes, and any conflicts will need to be resolved.
• Usage: It's convenient when you want to update your current branch with the latest changes from the remote repository in one step.