How Do You Resolve Merge Conflicts in Git?

Merge conflicts in Git occur when changes in different branches collide, meaning that Git cannot automatically merge the changes. Resolving these conflicts is essential to ensure that your codebase remains functional and consistent. In this article, we’ll walk through the process of resolving merge conflicts in Git.

What Are Merge Conflicts?

A merge conflict happens when two branches have modified the same part of a file in different ways, or when a file was deleted in one branch but modified in another. Git is unable to determine which changes should be kept, so it requires manual intervention to resolve the conflict.

How to Identify Merge Conflicts

When you attempt to merge branches and a conflict occurs, Git will notify you with a message. The conflicted files will be marked as “unmerged” and need your attention. You can identify conflicted files by running:

git status

This command will list the files that have conflicts and need resolution.

Steps to Resolve Merge Conflicts

Follow these steps to resolve merge conflicts in Git:

Step 1: Open the Conflicted Files

Conflicted files will contain special markers that Git uses to indicate the conflicting areas. The markers look like this:

<<<<<<< HEAD
Your changes in the current branch
=======
Changes from the branch being merged
>>>>>>> branch-name

Everything between <<<<<<< and ======= is your current branch’s changes, and everything between ======= and >>>>>>> is the incoming branch’s changes.

Step 2: Decide on the Changes

You need to decide which changes to keep. You can:

  • Keep your current branch’s changes.
  • Keep the incoming branch’s changes.
  • Combine the changes from both branches.

After deciding, edit the file to remove the conflict markers and retain the desired code.

Step 3: Mark the Conflict as Resolved

After editing the files and resolving the conflicts, mark the files as resolved by adding them to the staging area:

git add <file>

Step 4: Complete the Merge

Once all conflicts are resolved and staged, complete the merge by committing the changes:

git commit

Git will automatically create a merge commit with a default message that you can edit if needed.

Best Practices for Resolving Merge Conflicts

Here are some best practices to keep in mind when resolving merge conflicts:

  • Communicate with Your Team: If you’re working in a team, communicate with your colleagues about the conflict to ensure everyone is on the same page.
  • Use a Diff Tool: Consider using a visual diff tool to make it easier to see and resolve conflicts.
  • Test After Merging: Always run tests after resolving conflicts and merging to ensure the codebase remains stable.

Conclusion

Resolving merge conflicts in Git is an essential skill for managing code in collaborative projects. By carefully reviewing and merging changes, you can maintain a clean and functional codebase, even when conflicts arise.