How to Merge Branches in Terminal
In the world of version control, branches are essential for managing different versions of a codebase. When working with Git, a popular version control system, merging branches is a common task that allows you to combine changes from one branch into another. This process can be done in the terminal, providing a powerful and efficient way to manage your code. In this article, we will guide you through the steps to merge branches in the terminal.
First, ensure that you are on the branch where you want to merge changes from another branch. You can use the `git checkout` command followed by the branch name to switch to the desired branch. For example, if you want to merge changes from the `feature-branch` into the `master` branch, you would run:
“`
git checkout master
“`
Next, you need to update the local branch with the latest changes from the remote repository. Use the `git pull` command to fetch the latest changes and merge them into your local branch. This ensures that you have the most recent code before merging:
“`
git pull origin master
“`
Once you have the latest changes, switch to the branch you want to merge into. In our example, we would switch back to the `feature-branch`:
“`
git checkout feature-branch
“`
Now, you can use the `git merge` command to merge the changes from the `master` branch into the `feature-branch`. The command is as follows:
“`
git merge master
“`
This will create a new commit that combines the changes from both branches. If there are any conflicts, Git will pause the merge process and prompt you to resolve them. Conflicts occur when the same lines of code have been modified in both branches. You can resolve conflicts by editing the conflicting files and then continuing the merge process using the `git merge –continue` command.
After resolving any conflicts, you can verify that the merge was successful by running `git log`. This command will display a list of commits, and you should see the new merge commit at the top.
Finally, to push the merged changes to the remote repository, use the `git push` command:
“`
git push origin feature-branch
“`
This will update the remote repository with the merged changes.
In conclusion, merging branches in the terminal is a straightforward process that can be accomplished by following these steps: switch to the target branch, update with the latest changes, switch to the branch to merge from, perform the merge, resolve any conflicts, and push the changes to the remote repository. By mastering this skill, you will be able to efficiently manage your codebase and collaborate with others in a version control system like Git.
