Exercise 1.7: Understanding Git Pull and Push

Author

Chuck Nelson

Published

September 22, 2025

1 Understanding Git Pull and Push

In collaborative software development, Git pull and push are fundamental operations for synchronizing your local repository with a remote repository (like GitHub). They allow you to share your changes with others and incorporate their changes into your work.

Git Pull

The git pull command is used to fetch changes from a remote repository and integrate them into your current local branch. It’s essentially a combination of two operations: git fetch (which downloads changes from the remote) and git merge (which integrates those changes into your local branch).

When to use git pull:

  • Before you start working on a new feature or bug fix, to ensure your local branch is up-to-date.
  • Periodically while you are working, especially in a busy project, to incorporate changes made by others.

Git Push

The git push command is used to upload your local commits to a remote repository. When you push, you are essentially publishing your changes, making them available for others to see and integrate.

When to use git push:

  • After you have committed your changes locally and are ready to share them with the team.
  • To update a remote branch with your latest work.

Why Pull Before Push is a Best Practice

In a multi-developer codebase, it is crucial to always pull before you push. Here’s why:

  1. Avoid Conflicts: If another developer has pushed changes to the remote repository since your last pull, your local branch will be out of sync. Pushing your changes without pulling first would create a divergent history, leading to merge conflicts that are often more complex to resolve. By pulling first, you integrate their changes into your local branch, resolving any conflicts locally before attempting to push. This makes conflict resolution easier and prevents “dirtying” the remote history.

  2. Maintain a Linear History: Pulling before pushing helps maintain a more linear and understandable project history. When you pull, Git attempts to fast-forward your branch if possible, or creates a merge commit that clearly shows the integration of remote changes. This keeps the commit history clean and easy to follow.

  3. Prevent Overwriting Work: Without pulling, you risk overwriting or losing changes made by others. Git will usually prevent a non-fast-forward push, but it’s best to proactively integrate changes rather than relying on Git to stop you.

  4. Stay Up-to-Date: Regularly pulling ensures you are always working with the latest version of the codebase. This reduces the chances of developing features based on outdated code, which can lead to integration issues later on.

In summary, git pull before git push is a fundamental habit that promotes collaboration, reduces conflicts, and maintains a clean, coherent project history in any multi-developer environment.

2 Performing Git Push and Pull

Here’s how to perform git push and git pull using both the command line and VS Code.

What branch am I on?

Always know what branch you are currently working on. For now, there is only one branch and it’s the default branch you are currently working on. Here is how to determine the current working branch.

To determine your current Git branch from the command line, navigate to your repository and run:

git branch --show-current

This command will output the name of the branch you are currently on.

In VS Code, the current Git branch is displayed in the Status Bar at the bottom left of the window. Look for an icon that typically shows a branch symbol followed by the branch name (e.g., main or master). Clicking on this status bar item will also allow you to switch branches.

Pulling Changes

To perform a git pull from the command line:

  1. Open your terminal or command prompt.
  2. Navigate to your local repository directory.
  3. Run the following command:
git pull origin <branch-name>

Replace <branch-name> with the name of the branch you are currently working on (e.g., main or master). If you are on the branch you want to pull from and it’s tracking a remote branch, you can often just use git pull.

VS Code provides a user-friendly interface for Git operations.

  1. Open Source Control View: Click on the Source Control icon (the three circles connected by lines) in the Activity Bar on the left side of VS Code.

  2. Fetch/Pull: At the top of the Source Control panel, you’ll see a “…” (More Actions) menu. Click on it, then hover over “Pull, Push” and select “Pull”.

  • Alternatively, you can click the Synchronize Changes button (two arrows forming a circle) in the bottom-left corner of the VS Code status bar. This will both pull and push changes. VS Code will usually prompt you to confirm.

Pushing Changes

To perform a git push from the command line:

  1. Ensure you have committed your changes locally (git add . and git commit -m "Your commit message").
  2. Run the following command:
git push origin <branch-name>

Again, replace <branch-name> with the name of your branch. If your local branch is tracking a remote branch, you can often just use git push.

VS Code provides a user-friendly interface for Git operations.

  1. Commit Changes: Ensure all your changes are staged and committed. You can do this by:
  • Staging: Hover over the “Changes” section in the Source Control panel, click the + icon next to individual files, or click the + icon next to “Changes” to stage all.
  • Committing: Type a commit message in the message box at the top of the Source Control panel and click the “Commit” button.
  1. Push: After committing, click on the “…” (More Actions) menu in the Source Control panel, hover over “Pull, Push” and select “Push”.
  • If you used the Synchronize Changes button (two arrows forming a circle) in the status bar, it will also push your committed changes after pulling.

See Git Workflow and Project Management for more in-depth discussion on using Git and GitHub.

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