In Git, both "merge" and "rebase" are operations used to integrate changes from one branch into another. However, they differ in how they accomplish this and the resulting commit history. Let's explore the differences between the two operations with examples:

Merge:

- Merge combines the changes from one branch into another while preserving the individual branch histories. - It creates a new commit that represents the combination of changes from both branches. - The commit history shows a merge commit that serves as a point where the two branches converge. - Merging is useful for integrating feature branches, bug fixes, or other branches that should maintain their independent histories.

Example scenario:

1. Start with two branches, `main` and `feature/xyz`, each with their own commit history. 2. Switch to the `main` branch: `git checkout main` 3. Execute the merge operation: `git merge feature/xyz` 4. Git combines the changes from `feature/xyz` into `main` and creates a new merge commit. 5. The commit history now includes the merge commit, representing the integration of changes from both branches.

Rebase:

- Rebase integrates the changes from one branch by incorporating them onto another branch as if they were developed linearly, resulting in a cleaner and more linear commit history. - It moves or "replays" the commits from one branch to the tip of another branch. - The commit history appears as if the changes from the rebased branch were made directly on top of the branch being rebased onto. - Rebasing is useful for incorporating the latest changes from a base branch into a feature branch, maintaining a cleaner and more straightforward history.

Example scenario:

1. Start with two branches, `main` and `feature/xyz`, each with their own commit history. 2. Switch to the `feature/xyz` branch: `git checkout feature/xyz` 3. Execute the rebase operation: `git rebase main` 4. Git takes the commits from `feature/xyz` and replays them on top of `main`. 5. The commit history shows the commits from `feature/xyz` placed on top of the latest `main` commit, resulting in a linear history.

Key differences:

- Merge preserves the individual branch histories, while rebase creates a more linear history. - Merge creates a merge commit, while rebase does not. - Merge is suitable for integrating independent branches, while rebase is useful for keeping a cleaner history when incorporating changes from one branch to another.

It's important to note that the choice between merge and rebase depends on the specific requirements, project workflow, and collaboration considerations.