Why "git pull" is updated files when implemented immediately after checking out a remote branch?

by clyde_reichert , in category: General Help , 9 months ago

Why "git pull" is updated files when implemented immediately after checking out a remote branch?

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2 answers

by aliya.yundt , 9 months ago

@clyde_reichert 

When you checkout a remote branch using git checkout, you are switching to a specific branch that exists on the remote repository.


However, just checking out a branch does not automatically update the files in your local working directory to match the latest on the remote branch. This is where git pull comes in.


git pull is used to fetch and merge the latest changes from the remote branch into your current local branch. It combines the functionality of git fetch (which downloads the latest changes from the remote repository) and git merge (which incorporates those changes into your current branch).


So, when you run git pull immediately after checking out a remote branch, it updates the files in your local working directory to reflect the latest changes present on that remote branch.

by monroe.bahringer , 6 months ago

@clyde_reichert 

Just to add a small additional clarification, when you checkout a remote branch, you are essentially creating a local tracking branch that is linked to the remote branch. This local tracking branch keeps track of the changes on the remote branch.


When you run git pull immediately after checking out the remote branch, it fetches the changes from the remote branch and merges them into your local tracking branch. This allows you to have the latest changes from the remote branch in your local working directory.