fetch vs pull

Learn that fetch does not merge while pull does.

The Difference Between Fetch and Pull

git fetch downloads changes from the remote repository but does not merge them into the current working branch. git pull downloads remote changes and integrates them into the current branch.

git fetch origin
git pull origin main

Use fetch to inspect changes first, or pull to download and integrate them together.

The Integration Step of Pull

The git pull operation generally includes retrieving data from the remote repository and integrating those changes into the current branch. This integration usually happens through a merge operation.

git pull origin main

If the remote and local histories are incompatible, a merge conflict may occur during pull. In that case, you need to resolve the conflict.

Exercise Get Remote Changes with Pull

Download changes from the main branch of the origin remote and integrate them into the current branch. Then check the repository status.

Show example solution

git pull origin main
git status

Test yourself

Which command downloads remote changes and integrates them into the current branch?
- git status
- git fetch
- git remote
- git pull
Show answer

git pull — <code>git pull</code> downloads remote changes and integrates them into the current branch. Fetch only downloads remote information.
Integrate a Specific Remote Branch
```
git pull origin ____
```
Show answer
```
git pull origin feature
```
Fetch and Pull Comparison

git fetch

Downloads, does not merge
git pull

Downloads and integrates
merge

Combines branches
origin

Remote repository label

Next lesson: Fetch all branches

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