AI solution for Interview Question on BFE.dev
159. What is the difference between `git merge` and `git rebase`?

git merge and git rebase are two ways to integrate changes from one branch into another. The main difference between the two is that git merge creates a new merge commit, while git rebase re-writes the project history by creating new commits for each commit in the original branch.

When you use git merge, you are pulling the changes from one branch into another and creating a new merge commit. This means that the branch history will show a merge point where the two branches were combined. git merge is useful when you want to preserve the history of both branches, or when you are merging a branch that has diverged significantly from the main branch.

On the other hand, git rebase takes the changes from one branch and applies them onto another branch, as if the changes had been made directly on the other branch all along. This creates a linear history without merge commits. The main advantage of git rebase is that it simplifies the project history and makes it easier to understand. However, it should only be used when you are sure that the changes in the other branch do not conflict with your changes.

In summary, git merge creates a new merge commit and preserves the history of both branches, while git rebase rewrites the project history and creates a cleaner, linear history without merge commits.