NAME    [Toc]    [Back]

       merge - three-way file merge

SYNOPSIS    [Toc]    [Back]

       merge [-Llabel1 [-Llabel3]] [-p] [-q] file1 file2 file3

DESCRIPTION    [Toc]    [Back]

       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    [Toc]    [Back]

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

IDENTIFICATION    [Toc]    [Back]

       Author: Walter F. Tichy.
       Revision Number: 1.1.6.2; Release Date: 1993/10/07.
       Copyright (C) 1982, 1988, 1989 by Walter F. Tichy.
       Copyright (C) 1990, 1991 by Paul Eggert.

SEE ALSO    [Toc]    [Back]

       diff3(1), diff(1), rcsmerge(1), co(1)



                                                         merge(1)