Resolving Merge Conflicts in Git

Resolving Merge Conflicts in Git

Merge conflicts occur when Git cannot automatically merge changes from two branches that modify the same part of a file differently. In this blog, we’ll learn how to identify and resolve conflicts effectively.

Table of Contents

• What Causes Merge Conflicts?
• Identifying Merge Conflicts
• Resolving Conflicts Manually
• Using Merge Tools
• Exercise: Resolving a Conflict

What Causes Merge Conflicts?

Merge conflicts happen when:

• Two branches modify the same part of a file differently.
• A branch deletes a file while another modifies it.

Identifying Merge Conflicts

When a conflict occurs, Git marks the conflicting areas in the file like this:

  <<<<<<< HEAD
  Changes from main
  =======
  Changes from feature-branch
  >>>>>>> feature-branch
          

Resolving Conflicts Manually

1. Open the conflicting file and locate the conflict markers.
2. Edit the file to decide which changes to keep.
3. Stage the resolved file:

  git add conflicting-file
            

4. Commit the resolution:

  git commit -m "Resolved merge conflict"
            

Using Merge Tools

Graphical merge tools like VS Code, IntelliJ, or git mergetool can simplify conflict resolution:

  git mergetool
          

Exercise

Simulate a merge conflict by modifying the same file in two branches. Resolve the conflict manually or using a merge tool. Run git log --graph to confirm the merge was successful.

Coming Up Next

In the next part of this series, we’ll explore advanced Git commands like cherry-picking and interactive rebase for fine-grained control over your commit history.