How to compare a local Git branch with its remote branch

 

To compare a local Git branch with its remote counterpart, you can use the git diff command with the appropriate remote reference. Here's an example of how to do this:

Assuming you have a local branch named feature/branch-name and its remote counterpart is on the origin remote:

1. First, make sure you're on the local branch:

   sh

git checkout feature/branch-name

Fetch the latest changes from the remote repository to ensure you have the most up-to-date information:

sh

git fetch origin

Compare the local branch with its remote counterpart using the git diff command. Use the local branch name as the first reference and the remote branch name (with origin/ prefix) as the second reference:

sh

3. git diff feature/branch-name origin/feature/branch-name
   

This command will show you the differences between the local and remote branches, highlighting the changes that exist on your local branch but haven't been pushed to the remote yet.

Here's a simple example:

sh

# Assuming you're on the local 'feature/my-feature' branch
git fetch origin
git diff feature/my-feature origin/feature/my-feature

Remember that git fetch is used to update your local repository with the latest information from the remote, and git diff compares the differences between the specified references.