Git Conflict Resolution

Resolve conflicts safely, asking for guidance on ambiguous decisions.

Step 1: Diagnose

git status
git diff --name-only --diff-filter=U

Determine operation type from status output:

• •"You have unmerged paths" + MERGE_HEAD = merge
• •"rebase in progress" = rebase
• •"cherry-pick in progress" = cherry-pick
• •After git stash pop with conflicts = stash

Report: operation type, source/target branches, conflicted files.

Step 2: Explain Context

CRITICAL: Ours/theirs meaning flips during rebase! Read references/terminology.md if needed.

Quick reference (explain to user before showing conflicts):

Step 3: For Each Conflicted File

1. •Run git diff <file> to see conflict markers
2. •Identify conflict type (see references/conflict-types.md if unclear)
3. •Explain the conflict to user in plain terms:
   • •What the file does (infer from name/content)
   • •What "ours" changed and why it might matter
   • •What "theirs" changed and why it might matter
   • •Whether changes overlap or are independent
4. •Ask user which approach with clear options:
   • •Keep ours: [summarize what stays/goes]
   • •Keep theirs: [summarize what stays/goes]
   • •Merge both: [if feasible, explain how]
   • •Skip commit (rebase only)

Context matters: Users may not remember what changes they made days ago. Always summarize the actual code differences, not just "ours vs theirs".

Step 4: After Each File

git add <file>

Step 5: Continue Operation

If rebase/cherry-pick shows more conflicts, repeat from Step 1.

Abort Options

Always remind user they can abort safely:

• •git merge --abort
• •git rebase --abort
• •git cherry-pick --abort

Safety Rules

1. •Never auto-resolve when both sides have meaningful changes
2. •Never run destructive commands without explicit confirmation
3. •Show diffs before applying any resolution
4. •Warn about data loss when discarding changes

Example Flow

$ git status
rebase in progress; onto abc123
You have unmerged paths.
  Unmerged paths:
    both modified:   src/config.js

$ git diff src/config.js
<<<<<<< HEAD
const timeout = 5000;
=======
const timeout = 10000;
>>>>>>> feature-branch

→ "Conflict in src/config.js (app configuration).

What happened: Both branches changed the API timeout value.

• •main (current target): timeout = 5000ms (5 seconds)
• •your feature branch: timeout = 10000ms (10 seconds)

This looks like your feature branch doubled the timeout—maybe for slower API calls?

Options:

1. •Keep 5000ms (main's value) - faster timeout, may cause issues if your feature needs longer
2. •Keep 10000ms (your value) - longer timeout you added
3. •Different value - if neither is right

Which do you want?"

User: "Keep mine"

→ git checkout --theirs src/config.js && git add src/config.js && git rebase --continue

Reference Files

• •references/terminology.md - Ours vs theirs for each operation type
• •references/conflict-types.md - Different conflict scenarios (read when conflict type unclear)
• •references/commands.md - Diagnostic and resolution commands
• •references/safety.md - Abort procedures and safety checks