[Gnu-arch-users] Re: <<< conflict markers

[Stefan Monnier]

> diff3-style conflict markers really only make sense when the program
> creating them has three files on hand: ANCESTOR, MINE, and YOURS.

> `replay', `redo', etc. all work (currently) on the basis of diffs, not
> 3-way merges.

One exception: `update' could very well use diff3.
But it would have the same effect as `tla star-merge --three-way', so it
would be a bit redundant.

> They have only one file on hand (MINE) plus a set of
> diffs from ANCESTOR to YOURS.   They don't use that style of conflict
> marker for the same reason that `patch (1)' doesn't --- patch can
> _guess_ where the conflicting hunk goes, but it doesn't know for sure,
> and doesn't know what lines in MINE it conflicts with.

I wish there was a tool that would do the guessing and turn the .rej
into conflict markers.  Can't be done reliably in general, but it
could be useful if used interactively (and with the option to fail
if the guess is too far fetched).

BTW, regarding the naming convention, I think tla should be careful to only
use .rej for files containing diff output (or a short explanation of where
the reject data was left).  Currently in the case of a "2 file additions
conflict" it puts the current file in .orig and the new conflicting add in
.rej, which I feel is wrong (and breaks the major-mode selection in Emacs
since it's based on the filename's extension).


        Stefan