What is a merge?

A merge combines elements into a merge output file or directory. How a file or directory is merged is based on its element type. An element-type-specific program (the merge method) combines the contents of two or more files or two or more directories. The type manager mechanism is used to select a merge method. For details, see the type_manager reference page.

These versions contribute to the merge:

  • Base contributor
  • Source versions
  • Destination version

The process may be completely automated or may require you to resolve conflicting changes.

The merge can be recorded with a merge arrow, which is implemented as a hyperlink of type Merge. For more information, see the merge reference page.