Conflict Resolution Routine

Why conflict handling breaks down under pressure

Before merge (separate changes)

main

ABC

feature

BDE

Standard flow: identify → understand → communicate → resolve → verify

After conflict resolution

main

ABCM

feature

BDEM

Conflicts are rarely dangerous because the commands are mysterious. They become dangerous because people improvise: edit files first, guess later, and eventually lose track of whether they are in merge, rebase, or cherry-pick.

The fix is not more panic-driven command memorization. The fix is a routine.

1. Always start with status

Run:

git status

before touching the files. It tells you:

• whether you are in merge or rebase
• which files are conflicted
• what Git expects next

That gives you context before action.

2. Do not treat conflict markers as the real problem

The markers are just symptoms. The real task is to decide which logic should survive and how the two sides relate to the current goal.

A safer order is:

1. understand what each side represents
2. decide what to keep, combine, or rewrite
3. remove the markers
4. validate the result

3. “File saved” is not the end of the process

After resolving a conflict, you still need to:

git add <resolved-files>
git status

Then continue with the correct flow:

• git rebase --continue
• complete the merge workflow
• or finish the cherry-pick flow

If the change matters, re-run the smallest useful tests too.

4. Know when to stop instead of forcing it

Pause when:

• you no longer understand what the two sides mean
• unrelated files keep getting dragged in
• you are not sure whether you are inside merge, rebase, or cherry-pick
• you are trying to “make the file compile first and think later”

At that point, aborting is often safer:

• git merge --abort
• git rebase --abort

5. A reusable team routine

This is a strong baseline:

1. run git status
2. understand the conflict before editing
3. remove all markers completely
4. re-check the behavior
5. only then continue or commit

That routine turns conflict handling from a stressful surprise into an expected workflow.