Git Merge Conflicts: Resolving Them Step by Step

When a merge conflict occurs, Git writes both versions into the file separated by markers:

<<<<<<< HEAD
const price = amount * 1.16;  // your branch
=======
const price = amount * 1.14;  // the other branch
>>>>>>> feature/update-tax

Everything between <<<<<<< HEAD and ======= is your current branch's version. Everything between ======= and >>>>>>> is the incoming branch's version.

Your job is to decide which version to keep, or combine them into something new, then delete all three marker lines.

Step by step:

1. Run git status to see which files have conflicts. They appear under "Unmerged paths".
2. Open each conflicting file in your editor.
3. Find the conflict markers (<<<<<<<). Edit the file to keep the correct code and remove all marker lines.
4. Stage the resolved file:

   git add path/to/file.ts

5. Once all conflicts are resolved, complete the merge:

   git commit

   Git pre-fills the commit message for merge commits.

If you want to abort the merge entirely and go back to where you were before:

git merge --abort

VS Code highlights conflicts and offers clickable options above each one:

• Accept Current Change keeps your branch's version
• Accept Incoming Change keeps the other branch's version
• Accept Both Changes keeps both, stacked on top of each other
• Compare Changes opens a side-by-side diff

These buttons are convenient for simple conflicts. For complex ones where you need to combine logic from both sides, edit the file manually. The buttons cannot merge code intelligently; they only pick one side or concatenate both.

After resolving, save the file, then use the Source Control panel or terminal to stage and commit.

Rebase replays your commits on top of another branch. If a commit conflicts, Git pauses the rebase and asks you to resolve. The process is similar:

# Resolve the conflict in your editor, then:
git add path/to/file.ts
git rebase --continue

If multiple commits conflict, you resolve each one as Git replays it. To abort a rebase in progress:

git rebase --abort

Rebase conflicts can feel repetitive because the same lines may conflict across multiple commits. If this happens often, consider squashing your commits before rebasing.

You cannot eliminate conflicts entirely, but you can reduce them:

• Pull frequently. The longer your branch lives without pulling from main, the more likely it diverges from what others pushed.
• Keep branches short-lived. Merge feature branches within a few days, not weeks.
• Avoid reformatting entire files. A whitespace-only commit that touches every line will conflict with every other branch. Run formatters as a separate, coordinated step.
• Communicate with your team. If two people are editing the same file, talk about it before both branches grow large.