When should I use git pull --rebase?

 

You should use git pull --rebase when you want to incorporate changes from a remote branch into your local branch while preserving a linear commit history. This is particularly useful when working on a shared branch with other developers, as it helps maintain a cleaner and more straightforward commit history compared to a regular git pull which creates merge commits.

Here's an example to illustrate when and how to use git pull --rebase:

Suppose you're working on a feature branch called feature/my-feature, and there have been some new changes pushed to the remote repository by other team members while you were working on your branch.

1. Check out your local feature branch:

   bash

git checkout feature/my-feature

Before pulling in changes from the remote branch, it's a good practice to ensure your branch is up to date with the remote:

bash

git fetch origin

Now, instead of using a regular git pull, use git pull --rebase to pull and rebase your changes on top of the changes from the remote branch:

bash

git pull --rebase origin feature/my-feature

This command fetches the changes from the remote feature/my-feature branch and replays your local commits on top of the updated remote branch, creating a linear history.

If there are any conflicts during the rebase process, Git will pause and ask you to resolve them. You'll need to open the conflicted files, make the necessary changes, add them to the staging area, and then continue the rebase with:

bash

git rebase --continue

Repeat this step until all conflicts are resolved.

After resolving any conflicts and completing the rebase, your local branch is now updated with the latest changes from the remote branch, and your commits are replayed on top of them.

Finally, if you want to push your updated branch to the remote repository, you may need to force-push if the branch history has changed due to rebasing:

bash

6. git push origin feature/my-feature --force
   

   Note: Be cautious when using --force, especially in a shared environment, as it can rewrite the remote branch's history and potentially cause issues for other developers working on the same branch.

Using git pull --rebase helps keep a cleaner and more linear commit history by avoiding unnecessary merge commits. It's a good practice when working on collaborative projects or when you want to maintain a more organized history in your Git repository.