Resolving conflicts by hand

A merge conflict happens when two branches changed the same lines of the same file in different ways. Git can combine non-overlapping changes on its own, but here it can't know which version you want — so it stops and asks you. This is git being honest, not broken, and resolving one by hand is a calm, mechanical process.

What a conflict looks like

When a merge or rebase hits a conflict, git pauses and marks the clashing spot inside the file:

<<<<<<< HEAD
const greeting = "Hello";
=======
const greeting = "Hi there";
>>>>>>> add-login

Read the markers literally:

• Between <<<<<<< HEAD and ======= is your current branch's version.
• Between ======= and >>>>>>> add-login is the incoming version.

Resolving it

You resolve a conflict by editing the file into the final state you want, then deleting all three marker lines. Keep one side, keep the other, or write a combination:

const greeting = "Hi there";

Then tell git the conflict is settled and finish:

git add greeting.js     # mark this file resolved
git status              # check for any other conflicted files
git commit              # complete the merge
# (for a rebase, use: git rebase --continue)

git status during a conflict is your guide — it lists exactly which files still need attention.

If it goes wrong, back out

You're never trapped. To abandon the whole thing and return to before you started:

git merge --abort      # or: git rebase --abort

Where to go next

Conflicts are one kind of "oops." Next: undoing anything — the commands for reverting, resetting, and recovering when something goes wrong.