Git Rebase vs Merge: Which to Use?
Rebasing and merging are each designed to combine modifications from one department into one other department in git, however they accomplish this in several methods.
Git Rebase vs. Git Merge Defined
- Git Rebase: Rebasing in git integrates a change from the bottom of the function department to the grasp department’s endpoint. It’s helpful for streamlining advanced histories.
- Git Merge: Merging takes the contents of the function department and integrates it with the grasp department. The function department stays the identical, making it helpful for monitoring historical past on advanced initiatives.
For instance, let’s say now we have a sequence of commits. The merge will outcome as a mix of commits, whereas rebase will add all of the modifications within the function department ranging from the final commit of the grasp department.
What’s the Distinction Between Git Rebase and Git Merge?
- If you rebase a function department onto a grasp, you progress the bottom of the function department to the grasp department’s ending level.
- Merging takes the contents of the function department and integrates it with the grasp department. In consequence, solely the grasp department is modified. The function department historical past stays the identical.
- Merging provides a brand new decide to your historical past.
Commits will appear like this:
When to Use Git Rebase vs. Git Merge
If the function department you might be getting modifications from is shared with different builders, then you must use merge. Rebasing isn’t beneficial as a result of the rebasing course of will create inconsistent repositories.
You must also use merge if you wish to see the historical past because it occurred. Merge preserves historical past, whereas rebase rewrites it.
Rebasing makes essentially the most sense for a person mission. Rebasing is beneficial for streamlining a fancy historical past. You’ll be able to change the commit historical past through an interactive rebase. You’ll be able to take away undesired commits, squash two or extra commits into one or edit the commit message.
Rebase will current conflicts one commit at a time, whereas merge will current them unexpectedly. It’s higher and far simpler to deal with the conflicts, however you shouldn’t overlook that reverting a rebase is rather more tough than reverting a merge if there are lots of conflicts.