Introduction

• git pull command is used to fetch the latest changes from a remote repository and automatically merge them into the current local branch..
• It ensures your local repository stays up-to-date with the remote repository without manually running separate commands.
• It is equivalent to running git fetch followed by git merge :
  • git fetch + git merge = git pull
• After fetching the updates, git pull attempts to merge them into the current branch.
• If you want to inspect changes before merging, using git fetch followed by git merge is recommended instead of directly using git pull.

How to use git pull ?

1. Open the Git terminal (or command prompt) and navigate to the project folder where your Git repository is initialized.
2. Make sure that:-
   • You have connected your local project to the remote repository using:
     • git remote add origin https://github.com/SmartProgrammingCoders/GitDemo.git
   • You are on the correct branch (e.g., main) and it matches the remote branch name. If not, rename it using:
     • git branch -M main
   • You have already pushed the project at least once, so remote contains some data.
   • git push origin main
3. Now run the git pull command:
   • Syntax : git pull origin <branch-name>
   • Example : git pull origin main
   • The command will show the following:
     • This command will:
       • Fetches the latest changes from the remote repository (origin).
       • Merges those changes into your current local branch (main).

Different ways to use git pull ?

1. Basic Pull (from default remote and branch):
   • Syntax : git pull
   • This pulls the latest changes from the default remote (usually origin) and the tracking branch (e.g. main or master).
   • Use case: You already cloned the repo and are on a branch connected to the remote.
2. Pull from Specific Remote:
   • Syntax : git pull <remote-name>
   • Example:
     • git pull origin
   • Pulls changes from the origin remote using the currently checked-out branch.
3. Pull from Specific Remote and Branch:
   Syntax :
   • git pull <remote-name> <branch-name>
   • Example:
     • git pull origin main
   • This pulls changes from the main branch of the origin remote.
   • Useful if you are not on a tracking branch or want changes from another branch.
4. Pull with Rebase Instead of Merge:
   Example:
   • git pull --rebase
   • Instead of merging, Git re-applies your local commits on top of the fetched changes.
   • Cleaner history, no merge commits.
5. Pull into a New Branch:
   • Syntax : git checkout -b new-branch-name origin/branch-name
   • Example:
     • git checkout -b feature-x origin/feature-x
     • git pull
   • Useful when pulling changes from a remote branch that doesn't exist locally yet.
6. Pull with Depth Limit (shallow pull):
   Example :
   • git pull --depth=1
   • Fetches only the most recent commits from the remote.
   • Useful for performance or bandwidth-limited environments.