Merging ta haɗu da sauye-sauyen daga reshe ɗaya zuwa wata — galibi ta dawo da rasha na fasalin da aka gama zuwa reshen mani. Git ta sarrafa yawancin merges ta atomatik, amma gane nau'in merges da conflicts yana da mahimmanci.
git switch main # be on the branch you want to merge INTO
git merge feature-x # merge feature-x's changes into main
Ka juyawa zuwa reshe (wanda ke karɓar sauye-sauye) kuma haɗa reshe a cikinsa.
FAST-FORWARD merge → if main hasn't changed since the branch was created, Git just
MOVES main's pointer forward to the branch's latest commit (no merge commit, linear)
MERGE COMMIT (three-way merge) → if BOTH branches have new commits, Git creates a new
"merge commit" combining them (has two parents) → preserves that a merge happened
→ git merge --no-ff forces a merge commit even when fast-forward is possible
Git ta fast-forward idan jiya (kawai haɓaka maƙarƙashiya) ko ta haɗa merge commit (tare da iyaye biyu) lokacin da reshe biyu sun keɓe.
A CONFLICT happens when both branches changed the SAME lines differently — Git can't
auto-decide which to keep, so it asks YOU to resolve:
<<<<<<< HEAD
the version from the current branch (main)
=======
the version from the branch being merged (feature-x)
>>>>>>> feature-x
# resolve: edit the file to the desired result, remove the markers, then:
git add <file> # mark the conflict resolved
git commit # complete the merge
# git merge --abort # or cancel the merge entirely
Conflicts suna faruwa lokacin da reshe biyu suka sauya layi ɗaya — Git ta yiwa alama kuma ka zaɓi sakamakon daidai da hannu, sa'an nan ka takaita kuma ka bugi.
Understanding merging is essential because combining branch changes is a fundamental, constant part of collaborative Git workflows, so knowing how it works (including conflicts) is necessary everyday knowledge. Merging is how completed work (typically feature branches) gets integrated back into the main branch — the routine act of bringing changes together that happens continuously in team development.
Understanding the difference between a fast-forward merge (Git simply advancing the pointer when the target hasn't diverged, keeping history linear) and a merge commit (a three-way merge creating a new commit with two parents when both branches have new commits, recording that a merge happened) clarifies how Git integrates changes and what the resulting history looks like.
Most importantly, understanding merge conflicts — which occur when both branches change the same lines differently, so Git can't automatically decide and asks you to resolve — is crucial practical knowledge: conflicts are a normal, inevitable part of collaboration, and knowing how to recognize the conflict markers (<<<<<<<, =======, >>>>>>>), edit the file to the correct result, and complete the merge (stage and commit) is an essential skill that's often a source of anxiety for those who don't understand it.
Since integrating branch changes via merging is fundamental and constant in collaborative development, and since understanding merge types and especially resolving conflicts is necessary to combine work correctly (a routine, unavoidable task), understanding how merging works — basic merges, fast-forward vs merge commits, and conflict resolution — is essential, frequently-applied Git knowledge, a core skill for collaboration where conflict resolution in particular is a practical necessity every developer must handle confidently.