Rebase conflict example

README.md

Rebase conflict example

When rebasing instead of merging, you may run into "strange" conflicts where you get the "same" conflict again and again. This is an attempt to explain one reason why you may run into this and how to properly solve them.

The code we are starting out with looks like this:

one + on eqvals three

The goal is to fix it so that it looks like this, while learning some git:

one plus one equals two

Let's get started!

1. Create a new folder and initialize git.

   mkdir rebase-example
   cd rebase-example
   git init
   

2. Create the initial commit with the initial code.

   cat <<EOF > code.txt
   one + on eqvals three
   EOF
   git add code.txt
   git commit -m "Initial commit"
   

3. Start working on your own branch for fixing the last three words.

   git checkout -b fix-last-part
   # Fix the first spelling mistake (on -> one)
   sed -i "s/on /one /g" code.txt
   git add code.txt
   git commit -m "Fix typo one"
   

4. In parallel to your work in step 3, someone else fixes the "+".

   git checkout master
   git checkout -b fix-plus
   sed -i "s/+/plus/g" code.txt
   git add code.txt
   git commit -m "Fix plus"
   

5. You continue your work on the last few words.

   git checkout fix-last-part
   sed -i "s/eqvals/equals/g" code.txt
   git add code.txt
   git commit -m "Fixed typo equals"
   sed -i "s/three/two/g" code.txt
   git add code.txt
   git commit -m "Fix calculation mistake"
   

6. Before you have time to merge in your changes, the other branch is merged.

   git checkout master
   git merge fix-plus
   

7. For whatever reason (not saying it is right or wrong) you decide to rebase on master.

   git checkout fix-last-part
   git rebase master
   

And of course you get a conflict! Let's take a look at what is really going on here.

WIP