> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.intelliq.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Syncing Specific Directories from Main Branch

> How to update specific directories in your branch with the latest changes from main

# Syncing Specific Directories from Main

When working on a feature branch, you may need to get the latest updates for specific directories from the main branch without merging or rebasing your entire branch.

## When to Use This Approach

This approach is useful when:

* You need the latest version of a specific app without updating your entire codebase
* You want to pull in changes to the documentation or API while continuing to work on your feature
* You need to update shared components without disrupting your current work

## How to Sync Specific Directories

To sync a specific directory from the main branch, use the following commands:

```bash theme={null}
# First, fetch the latest changes from the main branch
git fetch origin main

# Then, checkout just the directory you need from main
git checkout origin/main -- <directory-path>
```

### Available Directories to Sync

You can sync any of these app directories:

```bash theme={null}
# Sync docs
git checkout origin/main -- apps/docs

# Sync web app
git checkout origin/main -- apps/web

# Sync dashboard
git checkout origin/main -- apps/dashboard

# Sync API
git checkout origin/main -- apps/api

# Sync presentation
git checkout origin/main -- apps/presentation
```

## After Syncing

After syncing a directory, you should:

1. Review the changes that were brought in
2. Make sure your project still builds correctly
3. Commit the changes to your branch

```bash theme={null}
# Review the changes
git status

# Add and commit the changes
git add <directory-path>
git commit -m "Sync <directory-path> with main branch"
```

## Caution

Be careful when syncing directories that might have dependencies on other parts of the codebase. In some cases, you may need to sync multiple directories to maintain compatibility.

## Selectively Syncing Specific Files

You can be even more granular and sync only specific files rather than entire directories:

```bash theme={null}
# Sync a specific file
git checkout origin/main -- apps/web/components/Header.tsx

# Sync multiple specific files
git checkout origin/main -- apps/api/routes/users.ts apps/api/models/User.ts
```

### Excluding Specific Files When Syncing a Directory

If you want to sync a directory but exclude certain files, you can:

1. First, sync the directory
2. Then revert the specific files you don't want to sync

```bash theme={null}
# First sync the entire directory
git checkout origin/main -- apps/docs

# Then revert specific files you don't want to update
git checkout HEAD -- apps/docs/specific-file-to-exclude.mdx

# You can also revert multiple files at once
git checkout HEAD -- apps/docs/file1.mdx apps/docs/file2.mdx
```

### Using Git Add Interactive Mode

For more complex selections, you can use Git's interactive add mode after syncing:

```bash theme={null}
# First sync the directory
git checkout origin/main -- apps/web

# Then use interactive mode to selectively stage only what you want
git add -i

# Or use patch mode to select specific chunks within files
git add -p
```

With the interactive mode, you'll get a menu where you can:

* Select specific files to stage
* Review changes before staging
* Split files into smaller chunks for selective staging
* Revert specific parts of the sync

Written by [Ricky Raveanu](mailto:contact@rickyraveanu.com)