Pulling Changes

Fetch and merge changes from a remote repository with git pull.

What is Pull?

git pull is a combination of two commands:

1. git fetch - Download changes
2. git merge - Integrate changes

Basic Pull

Pull Commands

Command	Description
git pull	Pull from tracked remote
git pull origin main	Pull specific remote/branch
git pull --rebase	Pull and rebase
git pull --no-commit	Pull without auto-commit

Pull vs Fetch

Command	Effect
git fetch	Downloads changes, doesn't merge
git pull	Downloads and merges

Fetch is safer when you want to review changes first:

git fetch
git log origin/main
git merge origin/main

Pull with Rebase

Instead of creating a merge commit:

git pull --rebase

This replays your commits on top of the remote changes, creating a linear history.

Handling Pull Conflicts

When pull creates conflicts:

1. Git stops and marks conflicts
2. Edit files to resolve
3. Stage resolved files: git add .
4. Complete merge: git commit

Or abort:

git merge --abort

Pull Strategies

Configure default strategy:

git config pull.rebase true
# or
git config pull.ff only

Best Practices

1. Pull before pushing: Avoid rejected pushes
2. Commit or stash first: Clean working directory
3. Pull frequently: Smaller, easier merges
4. Use rebase for cleaner history: When appropriate

Exercise: Pull from Remote

Pull the latest changes from origin: