#GIT MERGE MASTER INTO BRANCH CONFLICTS CODE#

Start a new feature git checkout -b new-feature main # Edit some files git add git commit -m 'Start a feature' # Edit some files git add git commit -m 'Finish a feature' # Develop the main branch git checkout main # Edit some files git add git commit -m 'Make some super-stable changes to main' # Merge in the new-feature branch git merge new-feature git branch -d new-feature

#GIT MERGE MASTER INTO BRANCH CONFLICTS CODE#

The code below creates a new branch, adds two commits to it, then integrates it into the main line with a fast-forward merge. Our first example demonstrates a fast-forward merge. In the latter case, the resulting merge commit serves as a symbolic joining of the two branches. While you can use either of these merge strategies, many developers like to use fast-forward merges (facilitated through rebasing) for small features or bug fixes, while reserving 3-way merges for the integration of longer-running features. The nomenclature comes from the fact that Git uses three commits to generate the merge commit: the two branch tips and their common ancestor. 3-way merges use a dedicated commit to tie together the two histories. However, a fast-forward merge is not possible if the branches have diverged. When there is not a linear path to the target branch, Git has no choice but to combine them via a 3-way merge. For example, a fast forward merge of some-feature into main would look something like the following: This effectively combines the histories, since all of the commits reachable from the target branch are now available through the current one. Instead of “actually” merging the branches, all Git has to do to integrate the histories is move (i.e., “fast forward”) the current branch tip up to the target branch tip. Fast Forward MergeĪ fast-forward merge can occur when there is a linear path from the current branch tip to the target branch. Once the previously discussed 'preparing to merge' steps have been taken a merge can be initiated by executing git merge where is the name of the branch that will be merged into the receiving branch. Once the fetch is completed ensure the main branch has the latest updates by executing git pull.

Execute git fetch to pull the latest remote commits. Make sure the receiving branch and the merging branch are up-to-date with the latest remote changes. In our case we will execute git checkout main. If needed, execute git checkout to switch to the receiving branch. Confirm the receiving branchĮxecute git status to ensure that HEAD is pointing to the correct merge-receiving branch. Preparing to mergeīefore performing a merge there are a couple of preparation steps to take to ensure the merge goes smoothly. This scenario is a version control conflict and Git will need user intervention to continue. If Git encounters a piece of data that is changed in both histories it will be unable to automatically combine them. When creating a merge commit Git will attempt to auto magically merge the separate histories for you. Merge commits are unique against other commits in the fact that they have two parent commits. Git will determine the merge algorithm automatically (discussed below). Invoking this command will merge the specified branch feature into the current branch, we'll assume main. We now want to merge this feature branch into main. Say we have a new branch feature that is based off the main branch. Once Git finds a common base commit it will create a new 'merge commit' that combines the changes of each queued merge commit sequence. The following examples in this document will focus on this branch merging pattern. In these scenarios, git merge takes two commit pointers, usually the branch tips, and will find a common base commit between them. Git merge will combine multiple sequences of commits into one unified history. In the most frequent use cases, git merge is used to combine two branches. Again, this means that git merge is often used in conjunction with git checkout for selecting the current branch and git branch -d for deleting the obsolete target branch.

The current branch will be updated to reflect the merge, but the target branch will be completely unaffected. Note that all of the commands presented below merge into the current branch. The git merge command lets you take the independent lines of development created by git branch and integrate them into a single branch. Merging is Git's way of putting a forked history back together again.

Git merge master into branch conflicts