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Merge conflict

A merge conflict happens when Git cannot automatically combine changes from two branches because both modified the same part of a file differently.

Mark as completed

Prerequisite: Git branch

What matters

Resolving a conflict requires a person to manually decide which changes to keep, since Git has no way to know which version reflects the intended outcome.

Example

If one branch changes a line to 'return true;' and another changes the same line to 'return false;', merging the two branches produces a conflict Git can't resolve alone.

Common misconception

A merge conflict does not mean something has gone wrong or broken; it is an expected, normal situation whenever two branches edit the same lines differently.

Recall question

Why can't Git automatically resolve every merge conflict on its own?

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