How to Resolve Git Conflicts with Git Commands

Git conflicts can seem daunting, but they’re a common part of using version control. In this guide, we’ll walk through practical examples of how to resolve conflicts using Git commands, so you can confidently manage your code changes without fear.
By Taylor

Understanding Git Conflicts

When two people edit the same line of code in a file and try to merge those changes, Git gets confused about which version to keep. This is known as a conflict. Don’t worry; resolving conflicts is a skill you can master!

Example Scenario

Imagine you and a colleague are both working on a project called awesome-app, and both of you modify the same line in a file called index.html.

Steps to Resolve Git Conflicts

Here’s how you can resolve a conflict step-by-step using Git commands:

1. Simulate the Conflict

To see a conflict in action, let’s set up the scenario:

## Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/awesome-app.git
cd awesome-app

## Create a new branch for your changes
git checkout -b feature-a

## Modify index.html
echo '<h1>Welcome to Awesome App - Feature A</h1>' > index.html

## Stage and commit your changes
git add index.html
git commit -m 'Added welcome message for Feature A'

## Switch to the main branch
git checkout main

## Create a new branch for your colleague's changes
git checkout -b feature-b

## Modify index.html differently
echo '<h1>Welcome to Awesome App - Feature B</h1>' > index.html

## Stage and commit those changes
git add index.html
git commit -m 'Added welcome message for Feature B'

## Switch back to the main branch
git checkout main

## Merge both feature branches
git merge feature-a

2. Encounter the Conflict

When you try to merge feature-b into main, you’ll get a conflict message:

## Attempt to merge
git merge feature-b
## Output:
CONFLICT (content): Merge conflict in index.html
Automatic merge failed; fix conflicts and then commit the result.

3. Check for Conflicts

To see which files have conflicts, run:

git status

4. Open the Conflicting File

Open index.html in your text editor. You will see something like this:

<<<<<<< HEAD
<h1>Welcome to Awesome App - Feature A</h1>
=======
<h1>Welcome to Awesome App - Feature B</h1>
>>>>>>> feature-b

5. Resolve the Conflict

Decide how you want to merge the changes. You could choose one version, keep both, or create a new line. Let’s say you want to keep both versions:

<h1>Welcome to Awesome App - Feature A</h1>
<h1>Welcome to Awesome App - Feature B</h1>

6. Stage the Resolved File

After saving your changes, stage the resolved file:

git add index.html

7. Commit the Merge

Finally, commit the merge:

git commit -m 'Resolved merge conflict between feature-a and feature-b'

Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve successfully resolved a Git conflict. Remember, conflicts are a normal part of collaborative work. The more you practice, the more comfortable you’ll become. Keep pushing forward with your coding journey!