# fetch (10-fetch.com)

Fetch means to go get something and bring it back. People say it to dogs, or ask a friend to fetch a drink. It is a plain, physical action.

## What a model may hear
- network request (web programming, JavaScript, HTTP): assume the user wants code to retrieve a URL, parse JSON, or handle CORS headers and status codes
- git retrieve (version control, Git): assume the user wants to download commits, branches, or tags from a remote repository into a local one
- instruction cycle (computer architecture, CPU design): assume the user means the first stage of executing a machine instruction: reading it from memory into the processor
- data retrieval pattern (machine learning, data pipelines): assume the user wants to load batches, prefetch tensors, or stream training data into a model

## Where people and models part ways
- Says: "fetch me that file"
  Means: send me the document or save it somewhere I can open it
  May be taken as: write a script that makes an HTTP GET request and logs the response, without saving it for the user
  Say instead: "download the file at this URL and save it to my Downloads folder"
- Says: "fetch the latest version"
  Means: get me the newest copy of something
  May be taken as: run git fetch in a repository, updating remote-tracking branches without changing the working files
  Say instead: "get me the newest copy of the report and replace the one I have open"
- Says: "fetch my data"
  Means: show me my information
  May be taken as: assume a database query or API call is needed, and ask for endpoints or schemas the person does not know
  Say instead: "show me my account information from your records"
- Says: "go fetch"
  Means: this is a playful or dismissive remark
  May be taken as: interpret as a command to execute a retrieval operation with no target, causing an error
  Say instead: "no model action needed; this is conversational"

## Tips
- say where the thing lives: a URL, a folder path, or 'from your training data'
- say what you want done with it after: displayed, saved, summarized, or compared
- if you mean Git, say 'git fetch' explicitly; otherwise the model may default to HTTP
- if you want a file, say the format you need: PDF, text, image
- if you mean 'bring back information,' say 'look up' or 'tell me' to avoid network assumptions

## Often confused with
- get: get is vaguer; fetch implies a round trip and return
- retrieve: retrieve is more formal and database-oriented
- pull: pull in Git merges fetched changes into your working branch; fetch does not
- grab: grab is casual slang with no technical meaning
- collect: collect implies gathering many items, not one round trip
- prefetch: prefetch is a background fetch before it is needed, not on demand