Resolving Conflicts

A Merge Conflict happens when Git cannot automatically determine which changes to keep. This usually occurs when two people (or two branches) modify the exact same line of the same file.

While they can be intimidating at first, conflicts are a normal part of the development process.

How to Identify a Conflict

When you run git merge and a conflict occurs, Git will stop and tell you:

CONFLICT (content): Merge conflict in index.html Automatic merge failed; fix conflicts and then commit the result.

If you run git status, you will see the files listed as “both modified”.

Understanding Conflict Markers

Git modifies the conflicted files and adds special “markers” to show you exactly where the problem is.

Example of a conflict in a file:

«««< HEAD

Welcome to my App

=======

Welcome to jrDev

feature-branch-name

Breakdown:

• <<<<<<< HEAD: Everything between this and the ======= is the version currently on your target branch (e.g., main).
• =======: The divider between the two conflicting versions.
• >>>>>>> feature-branch-name: Everything between the ======= and this marker is the version from the branch you are merging in.

How to Fix a Conflict

To resolve the conflict, you must manually edit the file:

1. Open the file in your code editor (VS Code makes this very easy with visual buttons).
2. Decide which version to keep. You can keep the “Current Change,” the “Incoming Change,” or even a mix of both.
3. Delete the markers. Remove the <<<<<<<, =======, and >>>>>>> lines entirely.
4. Save the file.

Completing the Merge

Once you have fixed all the conflicts in all the files:

1. Stage the files:

   git add

2. Commit the resolution:

   git commit -m “Resolve merge conflict in index.html”

Note: If you are using a modern terminal, Git will often have a default merge message ready for you if you just type git commit.

Pro Tips for Conflicts

• Use a Good Editor: VS Code has built-in tools that highlight conflicts in color and give you one-click buttons like “Accept Current Change” or “Accept Both Changes.”
• Communicate: If you aren’t sure which code is correct, talk to the person who wrote the other version!
• Stay Calm: If you get overwhelmed, you can always run git merge --abort to reset everything to how it was before the merge started.

Common Beginner Mistakes

Leaving the Markers in the Code

If you forget to delete the <<<<<<< or ======= lines, your code will likely break or fail to compile. Always double-check your files before staging.

Staging Without Reviewing

Don’t just run git add . and commit. Make sure you actually looked at every conflict to ensure the final code makes sense.

Next Lesson

We all make mistakes. Whether it’s a typo in a commit message or accidentally deleting a file, Git has your back.

Continue to:

➡ Fixing Common Mistakes