What is the difference between git pull and git fetch?

git fetch and git pull are both used to get changes from a remote repository, but they work differently:

• git fetch — downloads new commits and updates references to remote branches, but does not change the current local branch. This is a safe operation that allows you to review changes before integrating them.

• git pull — is a combination of git fetch + git merge (or git rebase with appropriate settings). After downloading changes, it automatically attempts to merge them into the current branch.

Example:

# Update remote repository information without merging
git fetch origin

# View changes
git log HEAD..origin/main

# Merge changes into the current branch
git merge origin/main

# Or do it in one command
git pull origin main

Using git fetch is useful when you want to control the merge process and avoid unexpected conflicts.