git-imerge
Incrementally merge changes from one branch to another
TLDR
Start imerge-based rebase (checkout the branch to be rebased, first)
Start imerge-based merge (checkout the branch to merge into, first)
Show ASCII diagram of in-progress merge or rebase
Continue imerge operation after resolving conflicts (git add the conflicted files, first)
Wrap up imerge operation, after all conflicts are resolved
Abort imerge operation, and return to the previous branch
SYNOPSIS
git imerge [subcommand]
PARAMETERS
init
Initializes a new interactive merge session.
start
Starts an interactive merge session with the specified branch.
next
Applies the next chunk of changes and pauses for conflict resolution.
resolve
Marks the current chunk as resolved after conflict resolution.
skip
Skips the current chunk of changes.
abort
Aborts the current interactive merge session.
finalize
Finishes the interactive merge session and creates a final merge commit.
reinit
Reinitializes the current interactive merge session.
--help
Displays help information.
DESCRIPTION
git-imerge is a tool that helps perform complex or large merges in Git interactively. Instead of trying to resolve a large merge all at once, it breaks the merge into a series of smaller, more manageable steps.
It works by iteratively applying changes from the branch being merged onto the current branch, pausing at each step to allow the user to resolve conflicts. This allows for a more controlled and understandable merge process, especially useful when dealing with significant divergences or many conflicts.
The git-imerge command aims to make the merge process less daunting and prevents developers from being overwhelmed during conflict resolution. It is helpful in avoiding making mistakes during the merge process, as each change is checked before committing it.
It helps avoid long running merge processes that may be hard to debug
CAVEATS
Requires a clean working directory and index before starting. Be careful with skip, may lose information
WORKFLOW EXAMPLE
A typical workflow involves:
1. git imerge init: Prepare the merge environment.
2. git imerge start
3. git imerge next: Apply the next change chunk. Resolve any conflicts.
4. git add
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until all changes are applied.
6. git imerge finalize: Complete the merge.
CONFLICT RESOLUTION
Use standard Git conflict resolution techniques with git-imerge. Resolve conflicts in your editor, stage the changes, and then use git imerge resolve to mark the chunk as resolved.
HISTORY
git-imerge was developed to address the challenges of merging large and complex branches. The aim was to provide a more controlled merging experience. While not a core Git command, it has gained popularity in projects needing more fine-grained control over the merge process.