Merge Conflicts, Rebasing, and Workflows

Git Intermediate Guide

This guide builds on Git basics and introduces:

• Merge conflicts
• Rebasing
• Common workflows

---

Merge Conflicts

A merge conflict happens when Git cannot automatically combine changes.

Visual

Branch A:   o----A1----A2
                     \
Branch B:             B1----B2

Conflict occurs when merging B into A if both modified same lines.

---

Example Conflict

<<<<<<< HEAD
print("Hello from main branch")
=======
print("Hello from feature branch")
>>>>>>> feature-branch

How to Resolve

1. Open the file
2. Choose which code to keep (or combine)
3. Remove conflict markers
4. Save file
5. Run:

   git add .
   git commit -m "Resolve merge conflict"
   

---

Rebasing

Rebasing moves your branch onto a new base.

Visual: Merge vs Rebase

Merge:

main:    o----o----o
              \    \
feature:      o----o

Rebase:

main:    o----o----o
                    \
feature:            o----o

---

Rebase Command

git checkout feature-branch
git rebase main

---

When to Use Rebase

• Cleaner history
• Before merging feature branches
• Avoid messy commit graphs

⚠️ Avoid rebasing shared/public branches

---

Git Workflows

1. Feature Branch Workflow

main → create branch → work → commit → push → pull request → merge

Commands:

git checkout -b feature-name
git add .
git commit -m "Add feature"
git push origin feature-name

---

2. Git Flow (Simplified)

Branches:

• main (production)
• develop (integration)
• feature/*
• hotfix/*

---

3. Forking Workflow

Used in open source:

Fork → Clone → Branch → Commit → Push → Pull Request

---

Handling Conflicts During Rebase

If conflict occurs:

git rebase main
# fix conflicts
git add .
git rebase --continue

To cancel:

git rebase --abort

---

Best Practices

• Pull often
• Keep branches small
• Write clear commit messages
• Use rebase for local cleanup
• Use merge for shared history

---

Cheat Sheet

Task	Command
Merge branch	git merge branch-name
Rebase branch	git rebase main
Abort rebase	git rebase –abort
Continue rebase	git rebase –continue

---

Summary

• Merge = combine history
• Rebase = rewrite history
• Workflows help teams collaborate efficiently