MERGE(1)                        GNU(1992/04/10)                        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.  On a few older hosts where diff3 does not support the
      -E option, merge does not detect overlaps, and merely supplies the
      changed lines from file3.  On most hosts, if overlaps occur, merge
      outputs a message (unless the -q option is given), 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.

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

IDENTIFICATION
      Author: Walter F. Tichy.
      Revision Number: 1.1; Release Date: 1992/04/10.
      Copyright © 1982, 1988, 1989 by Walter F. Tichy.
      Copyright © 1990, 1991 by Paul Eggert.

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












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