git pull and git fetch

git pull and git fetch are both commands used in Git version control system, but they perform different actions.

git fetch is used to download the latest changes from a remote repository to your local repository, but it does not automatically merge the changes with your local branch. Instead, it updates your local tracking branches such as origin/master or origin/develop to match the remote ones. This means you can review the changes that were fetched before deciding to merge them with your local branch.

git pull, on the other hand, is a combination of git fetch and git merge. When you run git pull, it downloads the latest changes from the remote repository and immediately merges them into your local branch. This means that you don't have the opportunity to review the changes before merging them with your local branch.

In summary, git fetch downloads the latest changes from a remote repository to your local repository and updates your local tracking branches, but it does not automatically merge the changes with your local branch. git pull, on the other hand, downloads the latest changes from a remote repository and immediately merges them into your local branch. The choice between using git fetch and git pull depends on your workflow and whether you want to review the changes before merging them with your local branch or not.