a small example and confusion with conflict buttons

[rocket777]

I tried out this 3way merge (out of the box, just installed, didn't change any settings) and I'm a bit confused. I have 3 files, file1, the original and file2 and file3 each a separate edit of file1.

Line 1 is changed in both f2 and f3.
Lines 2-3 changed by f2
Lines 4 unchanged
Lines 5-6 changed in f3

Original, file1:
This is file 1 line 1
This is file 1 line 2
This is file 1 line 3
This is file 1 line 4
This is file 1 line 5
This is file 1 line 6

file2:
This is file 2 line 1
This is file 2 line 2
This is file 2 line 3
This is file 1 line 4
This is file 1 line 5
This is file 1 line 6

file3:
This is file 3 line 1
This is file 1 line 2
This is file 1 line 3
This is file 1 line 4
This is file 3 line 5
This is file 3 line 6



I start up and choose text merge. I drag/drop file2 on left, file3 on right, and then drag/drop file1 into the middle.

It shows in the merge window this:

-> -> This is file 1 line 1
This is file 2 line 2
This is file 2 line 3
This is file 1 line 4
This is file 3 line 5
This is file 3 line 6

I.e. there's 2 arrows on line one for the conflict with red bars coming down and only the one set of arrows.

If I click on the first arrow (left) it then changes the entire output to be from the left side, not just the one line that is in conflict.

Why is this not finding that there's just the one conflict on line 1 and that the rest of the changes are ok to merge with the one line unchanged?

(is it the smallness of these files?)

However, If I unclick the ! next to the 2 arrows in the output (or in the toolbar), then all 4 pains show 3 sets of arrows, for line 1, lines 2-3, (4 has no arrows) and lines 5-6.

This indicates it understands there are 4 types of lines in the output (and the colors of the 4 groups are different). Then I can choose which of the 2 versions of line 1 I want.

I guess I'm confused about the use of the ! buttons and why it gets set on the initial load or after a refresh.




using fulldebug 453

[Zoë]

The [!] button and the read line indiciates that it's found a conflict section. Conflicts are normally considered changes on both sides with up to one line between them, so it will even pick up close changes that aren't actually on the same line. You can configure that in the "Session Settings" dialog on the "Importance" tab, and either increase the scan distance or change it to only affect lines that actually have conflicting changes.

Normally in a conflict section it will automatically take any non-conflicting lines. Once you turn off the conflict state it rescans things to determine what the sections are.