Comments on merge commits

Developer's Area
1

Continuing the discussion from Testers wanted: perspective mode (early stages):

bleke@Nemesis:~/dev/mypaint$ git merge gwojcik/perspectiveMode

Here I’m asked to enter the reason why I want to merge. Does everybody have to do this? That request didn’t show up the first time I tried to compile the perspective mode branch.

Yes. If you are asked, it’s because the branches have diverged, meaning that there is more than one commit along each branch:

>>---o-----o------o-----o              (your branch)
      \
       o------o------o------o          (their branch)

Merging then makes a “merge commit” containing the code from both branches merged together, plus any little fixes needed to make it all work.

>>---o-----o------o-----o-----o---->>   (your branch + their branch)
      \                      /
       o------o------o------o           (their branch)

The reason you are asked for a comment is because every commit needs explaining, not just merge commits.

More: Git - Basic Branching and Merging

2

Ok, I was a little worried that I was merging my branch with their branch (uploading my branch to the git servers).

3

Git isolates that stuff pretty carefully. If you haven’t git push ed, and nobody has git pull (or git fetch) ed from you, there is basically zero chance of a merge occurring. Almost all operations are 100% local.

4

That’s good to know.