Git Branch Integration and Conflict Resolution

Merge conflicts are difficult less because of Git commands than because a conflict does not say which behavior the product should keep. A reliable workflow updates the feature branch against the current main branch, interprets both changes by purpose, and verifies the result after Git accepts the merge.

Update main before integration

Before submitting or merging a feature, update the local main branch and merge it into the feature branch:

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git switch main
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git pull
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git switch <feature-branch>
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git merge main

This is not the final merge into main. It is an early compatibility check that keeps a feature branch from drifting too far away from the project.

Resolve conflicts by intent

Conflict markers tell us that two edits overlap; they do not decide which edit is right. Ask what each side was trying to achieve: is one side fixing a defect while the other adds behavior, has one rule been replaced, or do both purposes need to survive together?

Do not mechanically keep the current branch or main. Use the current requirement, confirmed behavior, and relevant tests to make the decision.

Git acceptance is not product acceptance

After resolving files and staging the merge, Git only knows that the text conflict is gone. Review the result, run the relevant build or tests, and check the worktree:

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git status
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git diff --check

For UI, file-processing, deployment, or user-facing changes, run the actual affected path too. A clean worktree cannot prove that an integrated feature still works.

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update main → return to the feature branch → merge main
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→ resolve by intent → verify the result → commit and push

The dependable completion condition is not “no conflict markers remain”. It is that the integrated project still satisfies the requirement and passes the appropriate verification.