Resolving Merge Conflicts in Git

Introduction

• Importance of handling merge conflicts effectively
• Overview of methods: fast-forward, three-way merge, and squash merge

Creating Work Branches

• Importance of separating development branches from the master
• Allows for changes without impacting the main line of development

Types of Merge Conflicts

1. Fast-Forward Merge
   • Fast-forward if no changes diverge
   • Simple, direct update of branch
2. Three-Way Merge
   • Required when branches have diverged
   • Uses a common ancestor to merge changes
3. Squash Merge
   • Combines all commits from a feature branch into a single commit
   • Simplifies commit history

Handling Merge Conflicts

• Steps in identifying and resolving conflicts
  1. During commit, note changes in branches
  2. Edit conflicting files in the project directory
  3. Stage changes for commit
  4. Ensure no degraded or missing lines in the final commit
• Importance of verifying updates and testing modifications

Practical Examples

• Integrating changes from student projects or work groups
• Adding lines and avoiding redundant lines
• Example of adding lines to code and resolving that in a committed state

Best Practices

• Regularly update and commit changes to avoid large, complex merge conflicts
• Review and test integrates comprehensively to ensure quality

Advanced Tips

• Creating feature branches to manage different sets of changes
• Incremental commits to isolate and identify problematic changes easily

Conclusion

• Effective merge conflict resolution ensures smooth development and project integrity
• Encourages systematic approach to managing and integrating various changes