git fetch vs git pull | Most Asked Questions in Software Engineer Interview

Описание: git fetch and git pull are both Git commands used to retrieve updates from a remote repository, but they differ significantly in how they handle those updates locally.
git fetch:
Downloads changes from the remote repository to your local repository but does not merge them into your current working branch.
Updates the remote-tracking branches (e.g., origin/main) in your local repository, allowing you to see what changes exist on the remote without affecting your current local work.
Provides a "safe" way to review remote changes before deciding whether and how to integrate them.
You can inspect the fetched changes using commands like git log origin/main or git diff main origin/main.
Requires a subsequent git merge or git rebase to integrate the changes into your local branch.
git pull:
Is essentially a shortcut that combines git fetch and git merge.
Downloads changes from the remote repository and automatically merges them into your current local branch.
Can lead to merge conflicts if there are conflicting changes between your local branch and the remote branch.
Directly updates your working directory to reflect the changes from the remote.
In summary:
Use git fetch when you want to see what changes are available on the remote without immediately integrating them into your local work. This allows for a more controlled integration process.
Use git pull when you are ready to incorporate the latest remote changes directly into your current branch and are confident that the merge will be straightforward or you are prepared to resolve any potential conflicts.