Correct mistakes in git-merge documentation

[strowk]

cc: Johannes Schindelin [email protected]

[gitgitgadget]

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[dscho]

/allow

[gitgitgadget]

User strowk is now allowed to use GitGitGadget.

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[strowk]

/preview

[gitgitgadget]

Error: Could not determine full name of strowk

[strowk]

/preview

[gitgitgadget]

Preview email sent as [email protected]

[strowk]

/submit

[gitgitgadget]

Submitted as [email protected]

To fetch this version into FETCH_HEAD:

git fetch https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git/ pr-1940/strowk/master-v1

To fetch this version to local tag pr-1940/strowk/master-v1:

git fetch --no-tags https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git/ tag pr-1940/strowk/master-v1

[gitgitgadget]

This patch series was integrated into seen via git@e9c7d76.

[gitgitgadget]

This patch series was integrated into seen via git@ca358bd.

[gitgitgadget]

This patch series was integrated into seen via git@319d172.

[gitgitgadget]

This patch series was integrated into next via git@08f4a57.

[gitgitgadget]

This patch series was integrated into seen via git@afe66b1.

[gitgitgadget]

This patch series was integrated into seen via git@d2bad41.

[gitgitgadget]

This branch is now known as ts/merge-orig-head-doc-fix.

[gitgitgadget]

This patch series was integrated into seen via git@52774fa.

[gitgitgadget]

This patch series was integrated into seen via git@8c5f7db.

[gitgitgadget]

This patch series was integrated into master via git@8c5f7db.

[gitgitgadget]

This patch series was integrated into next via git@8c5f7db.

[gitgitgadget]

Closed via 8c5f7db.

[gitgitgadget]

On the Git mailing list, Johannes Schindelin wrote (reply to this):

Hi Tumur,

On Sat, 5 Jul 2025, Timur Sultanaev via GitGitGadget wrote:

> From: Timur Sultanaev <[email protected]>
> 
> Documentation for git-merge incorrectly notes that
> tip of the current branch on ascii diagram is C
> , while it is actually G (current branch is
> master, HEAD on diagram is G).
> 
> Additionally diagrams on the page are adjusted
> to use spaces instead of tabs, so that they align
> regardless of tab size. This is in line with
> diagrams on other git documentation pages.

To be precise, you could add to the commit message that the faulty
description was introduced in 0c514d576685 (git-merge.txt: mention
'ORIG_HEAD' in the Description, 2023-01-10). (I Cc:ed Philippe Blain who
authored that patch.)

> Signed-off-by: Timur Sultanaev <[email protected]>
> ---
>     Correct mistakes in git-merge documentation
> 
> Published-As: https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git/releases/tag/pr-1940%2Fstrowk%2Fmaster-v1
> Fetch-It-Via: git fetch https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git pr-1940/strowk/master-v1
> Pull-Request: https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git/pull/1940
> 
>  Documentation/git-merge.adoc | 10 +++++-----
>  1 file changed, 5 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)
> 
> diff --git a/Documentation/git-merge.adoc b/Documentation/git-merge.adoc
> index d53923c3b73..a055384ad69 100644
> --- a/Documentation/git-merge.adoc
> +++ b/Documentation/git-merge.adoc
> @@ -28,8 +28,8 @@ Assume the following history exists and the current branch is
>  `master`:
>  
>  ------------
> -	  A---B---C topic
> -	 /
> +          A---B---C topic
> +         /

This replaces tabs with spaces — though elsewhere in the file, tabs
continue to roam free. The change assumes your pager or editor shares
Git’s long-standing view that tabs are 8 columns wide (a convention with
many loyal followers, even if not universally embraced...). That said,
while correcting the description seemed fairly straight-forward, this
white-space change appears to tread on more delicate territory. It might
deserve its own patch — though I wouldn’t be shocked if it quietly joins
the fate of the dodo.

The same applies to the white-space change at the end of this patch.

>      D---E---F---G master
>  ------------
>  
> @@ -38,11 +38,11 @@ Then `git merge topic` will replay the changes made on the
>  its current commit (`C`) on top of `master`, and record the result
>  in a new commit along with the names of the two parent commits and
>  a log message from the user describing the changes. Before the operation,
> -`ORIG_HEAD` is set to the tip of the current branch (`C`).
> +`ORIG_HEAD` is set to the tip of the current branch (`G`).

This is obviously a good fix.

Ciao,
Johannes

>  
>  ------------
> -	  A---B---C topic
> -	 /         \
> +          A---B---C topic
> +         /         \
>      D---E---F---G---H master
>  ------------
>  
> 
> base-commit: 8b6f19ccfc3aefbd0f22f6b7d56ad6a3fc5e4f37
> -- 
> gitgitgadget
> 
> 

[gitgitgadget]

User Johannes Schindelin <[email protected]> has been added to the cc: list.

[gitgitgadget]

On the Git mailing list, Junio C Hamano wrote (reply to this):

Johannes Schindelin <[email protected]> writes:

>> Additionally diagrams on the page are adjusted
>> to use spaces instead of tabs, so that they align
>> regardless of tab size. This is in line with
>> diagrams on other git documentation pages.
>
> To be precise, you could add to the commit message that the faulty
> description was introduced in 0c514d576685 (git-merge.txt: mention
> 'ORIG_HEAD' in the Description, 2023-01-10). (I Cc:ed Philippe Blain who
> authored that patch.)
> ...
>>  ------------
>> -	  A---B---C topic
>> -	 /
>> +          A---B---C topic
>> +         /
>
> ... while correcting the description seemed fairly straight-forward, this
> white-space change appears to tread on more delicate territory. It might
> deserve its own patch
> ...
>> @@ -38,11 +38,11 @@ Then `git merge topic` will replay the changes made on the
>>  its current commit (`C`) on top of `master`, and record the result
>>  in a new commit along with the names of the two parent commits and
>>  a log message from the user describing the changes. Before the operation,
>> -`ORIG_HEAD` is set to the tip of the current branch (`C`).
>> +`ORIG_HEAD` is set to the tip of the current branch (`G`).
>
> This is obviously a good fix.

All comments are good ones for contributors to keep in mind for
their next attempt.

For this particular one, which is already in 'master', there is no
point in polishing and resending the patch, though ;-)

Thanks.