git merge - Git: How to pull a single file from a server repository in Git?

Question

I am working on a site with a server running Git. I am using Git for deployment (not GitHub). This was set up prior to my involvement using a hook method, and I referred to this question and entered the commands below, but it didn't work.

How do I pull a single file from the server? For instance, if I wanted to update my local file index.php? git pull index.php?

Answer 1

Short Answer

It is possible to do (in the deployed repository):

git fetch --all
// git fetch will download all the recent changes, but it will not put it in your current checked out code (working area).

Followed by:

git checkout origin/master -- path/to/file
// git checkout <local repo name (default is origin)>/<branch name> -- path/to/file will checkout the particular file from the downloaded changes (origin/master).

Full Example

$ cd /project/directory

$ git branch
* develop

check the remote name

$ git remote -v
origin git@github.com:abc/123.git

Confirmed it's origin and

I am on branch develop and need a file from branch main

File i need is src/scss/main.scss

git fetch --all

git checkout origin/main -- src/scss/main.scss