Basics
Git Fetch
Fetching Changes
Git fetch retrieves remote changes without merging.
What is Git Fetch?
Git fetch is a command used in Git to download commits, files, and references from a remote repository into your local repository. Unlike git pull, git fetch does not merge the changes into your working directory. This allows you to review changes before integrating them into your project, providing greater control over your workflow.
Why Use Git Fetch?
Using git fetch is beneficial when you want to:
- Keep your local branch clean while still being informed of changes in the remote repository.
- Review changes before deciding to merge them into your local branch.
- Update your references to remote branches, tags, and other elements without immediately altering your current work.
Basic Syntax of Git Fetch
The above command fetches the changes from the specified remote repository, commonly named origin. If no remote is specified, Git assumes you want to fetch from the default remote repository.
Example of Using Git Fetch
This command fetches updates from the remote repository named origin. After running this command, the fetched updates are stored in your local repository's remote-tracking branches, but they are not merged with your working branch.
Checking Fetched Changes
After fetching changes, you can inspect them using various Git commands. For example, you can compare your current branch with the fetched changes:
This command shows the differences between your current branch and the main branch of the remote repository. It helps you decide whether you want to merge these changes into your local branch.
Integrating Fetched Changes
Once you've reviewed the changes, you can integrate them into your local branch using git merge or git rebase. Here is how you can merge changes:
This command merges the changes from the main branch of the remote repository into your current branch, bringing your local branch up to date with the remote repository.
