Resolve merge conflicts

Resolve merge conflicts in Git — with the four heights of help laid out: do it now, make it easier for the next person to accept, work out the right move when you are stuck, and learn the pattern so it stops coming back.

4prompt heights
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The four heights

The same task, four distances: today's deadline, the next reviewer, the stuck moment, the pattern.

Execute — do the immediate task

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Two branches were merged and now three files show conflict markers: src/app/config.yml,…
Two branches were merged and now three files show conflict markers: src/app/config.yml, src/lib/util.js, and docs/README.md. Resolve the conflicts so the feature branch's intended behavior remains for config and util.js, but keep the docs changes from the target branch. Make a single merge commit titled Resolve conflicts from feature/login and verify tests pass locally before pushing.

Improve — make it easier to accept

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Before I present the resolved merge to the team, make it easy for reviewers to approve. Show each…
Before I present the resolved merge to the team, make it easy for reviewers to approve. Show each conflicted hunk with a one-line rationale for choosing one side or combining changes, surface any changes that alter public APIs or configuration defaults, and flag places I think might need a quick smoke test. If any choice is uncertain, mark it and suggest the person to ask.

Decide — diagnose the stuck moment

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I merged feature/login into develop and got conflicts in config.yml and lib/util.js. I don't know…

A merge produced conflict markers and I can't tell which side the team expects.

I merged feature/login into develop and got conflicts in config.yml and lib/util.js. I don't know if the team expects the feature's new settings or develop's stable defaults, and I can't reach the product owner. I'm afraid resolving incorrectly will break deployments. What's the most defensible way to resolve now so I can unblock CI and minimize risk, and what should I include in the merge commit message to make rollback or review straightforward?

Become — change the pattern

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We repeatedly get conflicts in src/app/config.yml and src/lib/util.js whenever feature branches are…

Conflicts keep arising in the same files across branches.

We repeatedly get conflicts in src/app/config.yml and src/lib/util.js whenever feature branches are integrated. It costs review time and frequent rework. Where is our branching or ownership practice failing, and what one process or habit change would stop these hotspots from recurring?

Next to this one

Other version control work people do in Git.

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The rest of the map

Same library, five ways in.