What is the difference between 'git pull' and 'git fetch'
Tags: github, git, command, beginners
Published: 2023-02-10 07:42:46

**git pull** is a Git command that allows you to download and integrate changes from a remote repository into your local repository. The command retrieves changes from a remote repository and merges them with the current branch in your local repository. This is useful when you want to synchronize your local repository with the remote repository and keep up-to-date with the latest changes.

The basic syntax of the git pull command is as follows:
`$ git pull <remote> <branch>`

Where <remote> is the name of the remote repository and <branch> is the name of the branch you want to merge changes from. For example, if you want to download changes from the origin remote repository and the master branch, you would run the following command:
`$ git pull origin master`

**git fetch** is a Git command that allows you to retrieve changes from a remote repository, but not integrate them with your local repository. The git fetch command downloads the latest changes from a remote repository, but does not modify your local repository or the current branch in any way.

The basic syntax of the git fetch command is as follows:

`$ git fetch <remote>`

Where <remote> is the name of the remote repository you want to retrieve changes from. For example, if you want to fetch changes from the origin remote repository, you would run the following command:

`$ git fetch origin`
The git fetch command can be used to keep your local repository up-to-date with the remote repository, or to retrieve changes from multiple remote repositories. The changes that are retrieved with git fetch are stored in your local repository as "remote branches", which you can inspect, compare, or merge with your local branches.

It's important to note that git fetch only retrieves changes from the remote repository and stores them in your local repository as remote branches. It does not modify your local repository or the current branch in any way. To integrate the changes into your local repository, you will need to run a separate command, such as git merge or git rebase


**Compare both** 

git pull and git fetch are two Git commands that allow you to retrieve changes from a remote repository. While both commands can be used to keep your local repository up-to-date with the remote repository, there are some key differences between them.

git pull is a combination of git fetch and git merge. The git pull command retrieves the changes from a remote repository and integrates them into the current branch in your local repository. It's a convenient way to both retrieve changes from the remote repository and merge them into your local repository in one step.

git fetch, on the other hand, only retrieves the changes from a remote repository and stores them as "remote branches" in your local repository. It does not modify your local repository or the current branch in any way. After running git fetch, you will need to run a separate command, such as git merge or git rebase, to integrate the changes into your local repository.

One advantage of using git fetch is that it allows you to inspect the changes from the remote repository before merging them into your local repository. This can be useful when you want to review changes or resolve conflicts before integrating them into your local repository.

In general, git pull is a more convenient command for keeping your local repository up-to-date with the remote repository, while git fetch is a more flexible command that allows you to inspect and integrate changes from a remote repository in separate steps. The choice between git pull and git fetch will depend on your specific use case and workflow.

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