MERGE(1)

NAME
merge - three-way file merge

SYNOPSIS
merge [ -L label1 [ -L label3 ] ] [ -p ] [ -q ] file1 file2 file3

DESCRIPTION
merge incorporates all changes that lead from file2 to file3 into file1. The result goes to standard output if -p is present, into file1 otherwise. merge is useful for combining separate changes to an original. Suppose file2 is the original, and both file1 and file3 are modifications of file2. Then merge combines both changes.

An overlap occurs if both file1 and file3 have changes in a common segment of lines. merge outputs a message if overlaps occurred, and includes both alternatives in the result. The alternatives are delimited as follows:

    <<<<<<< file1
    lines in file1
    =======
    lines in file3
    >>>>>>> file3

If there are overlaps, the user should edit the result and delete one of the alternatives. If the -L label1 and -L label3 options are given, the labels are output in place of the names file1 and file3 in overlap reports. Any overlap message is suppressed if the -q option is given.

DIAGNOSTICS
Exit status is 0 for no overlaps, 1 for some overlaps, 2 for trouble.

IDENTIFICATION
Author: Walter F. Tichy.
Revision Number: ; Release Date: .
Copyright © 1982, 1988, 1989 by Walter F. Tichy.
Copyright © 1990 by Paul Eggert.

SEE ALSO
diff3(1), diff(1), rcsmerge(1), co(1).