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Resolve a merge conflict

Maya switched the dashboard's wind readings to knots on main. Meanwhile Sam, on feature/metric-units, switched them to metres per second. Both changed the same lines of src/feed.js, so when Maya merges Sam's branch, git can't choose between them. That's a conflict, and it needs a person to decide.

Merging a branch, opening the conflict tool, taking one side, and finishing the merge Merging a branch, opening the conflict tool, taking one side, and finishing the merge

Steps​

  1. Merge. Right-click feature/metric-units in the sidebar and choose Merge feature/metric-units into main. Git merges everything it can and stops at the conflict. A banner at the top says Merge in progress and how many files conflict.

  2. Find the conflicted files. Click Uncommitted changes. Conflicted files are listed first, under Conflicts.

  3. Decide, file by file. For each file, either:

    • choose Ours (keep your branch's version) or Theirs (take the incoming one) right there in the list, or
    • click the file to open the conflict tool, when you need to see the detail or combine both.

  4. Use the conflict tool. It shows your version (ours) and the incoming one (theirs) side by side, and below them the result, which you can edit.

    The conflict tool: ours and theirs side by side, with the editable result below The conflict tool: ours and theirs side by side, with the editable result below

    • Use ours and Use theirs at the top take one whole version.
    • For each conflict in the file, the numbered buttons take Ours, Theirs, Both, or the Base they started from.
    • Or edit the result by hand, for the cases where the answer is a bit of each.

    When the result is right, click Mark resolved.

  5. Finish the merge. Once nothing is left in Conflicts, click Continue in the banner. Git Revenge makes the merge commit.

Good to know​

  • Not ready to decide? Abort in the banner puts everything back as it was before the merge.
  • Rebases and cherry-picks stop the same way. The banner says which operation is in progress, and the steps are the same. A rebase may stop more than once, once for each commit that conflicts.
  • Started the merge in a terminal? Git Revenge notices, and shows the same banner and conflict list.
  • Merged and regretted it? Ctrl+Z takes the merge back. See Undo a mistake.