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Software Engineering vocabulary · Version Control

Merge conflict

Meaning in software engineering, with examples

/ˈmɜːrdʒ ˌkɑːnflɪkt/nounCore term

In software engineering, merge conflict means: A situation where Git cannot combine two branches automatically because both changed the same lines, so a person has to choose the right version.

In Turkish: birleştirme çakışması, çakışma

How it is used

You get, run into and resolve merge conflicts. They are common in busy files such as configuration or translation files. People also just say 'conflicts': 'My PR has conflicts with main.'

Example sentences

  1. I got a merge conflict in the translation file after rebasing.

  2. Can you resolve the merge conflicts before I review it again?

Common collocations

  • resolve a merge conflict
  • run into a merge conflict
  • conflicts with main
  • conflict markers
  • mergeTo combine the changes from one branch into another, so that both sets of work end up in the same code.
  • rebaseIn Git, to move your branch's commits so that they start from a newer point, usually the latest main, which gives a cleaner, straight-line history.
  • branchA separate line of development in a repository, where you can work on changes without affecting the main code until you are ready to merge.
  • pull requestA request to merge your code changes from one branch into another, so that teammates can review and discuss them first.

More terms: Version Control

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