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Handling Merge Conflicts

What is a Merge Conflict?​

A merge conflict occurs when Git cannot automatically resolve differences between two commits during a merge or pull. This happens when:

  • The same line was edited differently in two branches
  • One branch deleted a file that another branch modified
  • Two branches added different files with the same name

When Conflicts Occur​

Merge conflicts happen during:

  • git merge - merging one branch into another
  • git pull - pulling remote changes (which is fetch + merge)
  • git rebase - rebasing onto another branch
  • git cherry-pick - applying commits from one branch to another

Identifying Conflicts​

Git Status​

Check merge status
git status

Output during a conflict:

On branch main
You have unmerged paths.
  (fix conflicts and run "git commit")
  (use "git merge --abort" to abort the merge)

Unmerged paths:
  (use "git add <file>..." to mark resolution)
        both modified:   app.js
        both modified:   config.json

Conflict Markers​

When you open a conflicted file, you'll see conflict markers:

Merge conflict markers in code
// ... existing code ...

<<<<<<< HEAD
// This is your current branch's version
const API_URL = 'https://api.example.com';
const TIMEOUT = 5000;
=======
// This is the incoming branch's version
const API_URL = 'https://api.new.com';
const TIMEOUT = 10000;
>>>>>>> feature-update

// ... more code ...

Understanding Markers​

  • <<<<<<< HEAD - Start of your current branch's changes
  • ======= - Separator between your changes and incoming changes
  • >>>>>>> branch-name - End of incoming branch's changes

Resolving Conflicts​

Manual Resolution​

  1. Open the conflicted file(s)
  2. Choose which version to keep:
Keep your version (remove markers)
const API_URL = 'https://api.example.com';
const TIMEOUT = 5000;
  1. Or keep their version:
Keep incoming version
const API_URL = 'https://api.new.com';
const TIMEOUT = 10000;
  1. Or combine both:
Combine both versions
const API_URL = 'https://api.example.com';
const NEW_API_URL = 'https://api.new.com';
const TIMEOUT = 10000; // Use the larger timeout

Step-by-Step Conflict Resolution​

Complete merge conflict resolution process
# 1. Check status to see conflicted files
git status

# 2. Edit each conflicted file (remove markers, keep desired code)
vim app.js
vim config.json

# 3. Stage the resolved files
git add app.js config.json

# 4. Complete the merge
git commit -m "Resolve merge conflicts"

Conflict Resolution Tools​

Using VSCode​

VSCode provides built-in conflict resolution:

  • "Accept Current Change" - Keep your version
  • "Accept Incoming Change" - Keep their version
  • "Accept Both Changes" - Keep both versions
  • "Compare Changes" - See differences side-by-side

Command Line Tools​

Use merge tool
git mergetool

This opens your configured merge tool (like Meld, KDiff3, etc.)

See conflict in context
git diff

Shows conflict markers with surrounding context.

Conflict Resolution Strategies​

Strategy 1: Interactive Resolution​

Resolve conflicts one by one
# See list of conflicts
git diff --name-only --diff-filter=U

# Resolve each file
git add file1.js
git add file2.js

# Complete merge
git commit -m "Resolve conflicts"

Strategy 2: Use Ours or Theirs​

Use our version for a specific file
git checkout --ours path/to/file
git add path/to/file

# Or use their version
git checkout --theirs path/to/file
git add path/to/file

Strategy 3: Abort and Restart​

Cancel the merge and start over
git merge --abort
Cancel a rebase
git rebase --abort

There is no git pull --abort — a conflicted pull is just a conflicted merge (or rebase, if you pulled with --rebase), so cancel it with git merge --abort or git rebase --abort accordingly.

Practical Conflict Examples​

Example 1: Conflicting Line Changes​

Your branch (main):

const config = {
  apiUrl: 'https://api.example.com',
  timeout: 5000
};

Incoming branch (feature-update):

const config = {
  apiUrl: 'https://api.new.com',
  timeout: 10000
};

Conflict in file:

<<<<<<< HEAD
const config = {
  apiUrl: 'https://api.example.com',
  timeout: 5000
};
=======
const config = {
  apiUrl: 'https://api.new.com',
  timeout: 10000
};
>>>>>>> feature-update

Resolution - communicate with team:

const config = {
  apiUrl: process.env.API_URL || 'https://api.example.com',
  timeout: 10000 // Higher timeout is safer
};

Example 2: Deleted vs Modified​

Your branch: Deleted a file Their branch: Modified the same file

Resolution
# Decide: should the file exist?
git rm path/to/file  # Delete it
# OR
git add path/to/file # Keep it

Example 3: Both Added Same File​

Two branches added different new files:

Check what exists
git ls-files
# One of the files might have conflict markers

# Open and verify you want both files
git add new-file1.js new-file2.js

Preventing Conflicts​

1. Communication​

  • Discuss with team which files you'll edit
  • Use feature branches for different features
  • Avoid editing the same lines simultaneously

2. Frequent Pulls​

Keep your branch updated
git pull origin main

Run this regularly — it brings in changes early, making conflicts smaller and easier to resolve.

3. Proper Branching Strategy​

Create branches from main
git checkout main
git pull origin main
git checkout -b feature/my-feature

Always start from an updated main branch.

4. Review Changes Before Merge​

Review before merging
git log main..feature-branch
git diff main...feature-branch

Understand what you're merging before doing it.

5. Small, Focused Changes​

  • Make changes to different parts of the codebase
  • Avoid massive refactors without team coordination
  • Create specific feature branches instead of long-running branches

Best Practices During Conflicts​

Workflow for handling conflicts
# 1. Keep your changes safe
git stash push -m "my current work"

# 2. Try the merge
git merge feature-branch

# 3. If conflicts arise
git status # See which files conflict

# 4. Resolve conflicts carefully
# - Read the code, understand both sides
# - Don't just delete one side without thinking
# - Test the resolved code

# 5. Mark as resolved and complete merge
git add resolved-files
git commit -m "Resolve conflicts and merge feature-branch"

# 6. Run tests to verify
npm test

Conflict Resolution Checklist​

When resolving conflicts:

  • Understand what each change is trying to do
  • Verify the resolution makes logical sense
  • Remove all conflict markers (<<<<<<<, =======, >>>>>>>)
  • Test the resolved code if possible
  • Run automated tests (linting, tests)
  • Stage the resolved files with git add
  • Commit with a clear message explaining the resolution

Understanding Conflict Causes​

Find what caused the conflict
git log --oneline main..feature-branch
# See what commits are in feature-branch

git show <commit-hash>
# See what that specific commit changed

git blame conflicted-file.js
# See who changed each line

Using Git Attributes​

Create .gitattributes to handle conflicts better:

.gitattributes - Binary files
# Don't merge binary files
*.png merge=binary
*.jpg merge=binary

# Union merge for specific files
package.json merge=union

Key Takeaways​

  • Merge conflicts are normal and manageable
  • Always read conflict markers carefully before resolving
  • Test your resolution before committing
  • Communicate with team to prevent conflicts
  • Use version control to understand who made what changes
  • Small, focused changes reduce conflict frequency
  • Frequently pull/update to catch conflicts early
  • When in doubt, ask your team about the right resolution

Common Mistakes to Avoid​

❌ Don't: Just delete one side without understanding it ✅ Do: Read both versions and think about what's needed

❌ Don't: Resolve conflicts without testing ✅ Do: Verify the resolved code works correctly

❌ Don't: Keep working on a branch while main changes significantly ✅ Do: Regularly pull main into your feature branch

❌ Don't: Create conflicts through poor communication ✅ Do: Discuss major refactors with your team first

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