Re: [PATCH] status: suggest `git merge --continue`, not `git commit`

[Phillip Wood <phillip.wood123@gmail.com>]

Hi Julia

On 06/10/2026 14:02, Julia Evans via GitGitGadget wrote:
> From: Julia Evans <julia@jvns.ca>
> 
> During a merge conflict, we suggest using --continue to continue the
> merge for rebase, revert, and cherry-pick.
> 
> Change the `git merge` advice to be consistent.
> Commit 367ff694281ce569edd8f6e444fc770f92f5d215 says that

When we use the output of "git show -s --format=reference" when 
referring to previous commits, so this would be

367ff69428 (merge: add '--continue' option as a synonym for 'git 
commit', 2016-12-14)

> `git merge --continue` is intended to be a synonym for `git commit`,
> and the `git merge` man page already suggests to use
> `git merge --continue`.

This looks like a sensible improvement. I wonder if we should fix the 
grammar at the same time so it says

     (use "git merge --continue" to conclude the merge)

rather than

     (use "git merge --continue" to conclude merge)

Thanks

Phillip

> Signed-off-by: Julia Evans <julia@jvns.ca>
> ---
>      status: suggest git merge --continue, not git commit
>      
>      We discussed making this consistent in another thread:
>      https://lore.kernel.org/git/623cdf71-8076-4967-aff1-3ebeb57d1e3a@app.fastmail.com/T/#m4bdcb555cbdff4132fb1a678594f26b598e0b38f
>      
>      From some research:
>      
>       * git merge --continue was introduced in 367ff694281c in Dec 2016. It
>         says that git merge --continue is intended to be a synonym for git
>         commit. (thread here:
>         https://lore.kernel.org/git/20161214083757.26412-1-judge.packham@gmail.com/)
>       * This line of the advice was last touched in July 2016, before git
>         merge --continue was introduced.
>      
>      So I don't see any obvious reason not to change the advice.
>      
>      Translations will need to be updated, I still don't know how that
>      process works. Updating the translations should be straightforward since
>      it's just a change in the command.
> 
> Published-As: https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git/releases/tag/pr-2249%2Fjvns%2Fadvice-merge-v1
> Fetch-It-Via: git fetch https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git pr-2249/jvns/advice-merge-v1
> Pull-Request: https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git/pull/2249
> 
>   t/t7060-wtstatus.sh    | 8 ++++----
>   t/t7512-status-help.sh | 4 ++--
>   wt-status.c            | 4 ++--
>   3 files changed, 8 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-)
> 
> diff --git a/t/t7060-wtstatus.sh b/t/t7060-wtstatus.sh
> index 942ddbbf0e..a9b435b5e3 100755
> --- a/t/t7060-wtstatus.sh
> +++ b/t/t7060-wtstatus.sh
> @@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ test_expect_success 'M/D conflict does not segfault' '
>   	cat >expect <<EOF &&
>   On branch side
>   You have unmerged paths.
> -  (fix conflicts and run "git commit")
> +  (fix conflicts and run "git merge --continue")
>     (use "git merge --abort" to abort the merge)
>   
>   Unmerged paths:
> @@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ test_expect_success 'status when conflicts with add and rm advice (deleted by th
>   	cat >expected <<\EOF &&
>   On branch main
>   You have unmerged paths.
> -  (fix conflicts and run "git commit")
> +  (fix conflicts and run "git merge --continue")
>     (use "git merge --abort" to abort the merge)
>   
>   Unmerged paths:
> @@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ test_expect_success 'status when conflicts with add and rm advice (both deleted)
>   	cat >expected <<\EOF &&
>   On branch conflict_second
>   You have unmerged paths.
> -  (fix conflicts and run "git commit")
> +  (fix conflicts and run "git merge --continue")
>     (use "git merge --abort" to abort the merge)
>   
>   Unmerged paths:
> @@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ test_expect_success 'status when conflicts with only rm advice (both deleted)' '
>   	cat >expected <<\EOF &&
>   On branch conflict_second
>   You have unmerged paths.
> -  (fix conflicts and run "git commit")
> +  (fix conflicts and run "git merge --continue")
>     (use "git merge --abort" to abort the merge)
>   
>   Changes to be committed:
> diff --git a/t/t7512-status-help.sh b/t/t7512-status-help.sh
> index aca4b6d332..776a0dd5b8 100755
> --- a/t/t7512-status-help.sh
> +++ b/t/t7512-status-help.sh
> @@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ test_expect_success 'status when conflicts unresolved' '
>   	cat >expected <<\EOF &&
>   On branch conflicts
>   You have unmerged paths.
> -  (fix conflicts and run "git commit")
> +  (fix conflicts and run "git merge --continue")
>     (use "git merge --abort" to abort the merge)
>   
>   Unmerged paths:
> @@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ test_expect_success 'status when conflicts resolved before commit' '
>   	cat >expected <<\EOF &&
>   On branch conflicts
>   All conflicts fixed but you are still merging.
> -  (use "git commit" to conclude merge)
> +  (use "git merge --continue" to conclude merge)
>   
>   Changes to be committed:
>   	modified:   main.txt
> diff --git a/wt-status.c b/wt-status.c
> index 57772c7501..f7b0dc29d5 100644
> --- a/wt-status.c
> +++ b/wt-status.c
> @@ -1273,7 +1273,7 @@ static void show_merge_in_progress(struct wt_status *s,
>   		status_printf_ln(s, color, _("You have unmerged paths."));
>   		if (s->hints) {
>   			status_printf_ln(s, color,
> -					 _("  (fix conflicts and run \"git commit\")"));
> +					 _("  (fix conflicts and run \"git merge --continue\")"));
>   			status_printf_ln(s, color,
>   					 _("  (use \"git merge --abort\" to abort the merge)"));
>   		}
> @@ -1282,7 +1282,7 @@ static void show_merge_in_progress(struct wt_status *s,
>   			_("All conflicts fixed but you are still merging."));
>   		if (s->hints)
>   			status_printf_ln(s, color,
> -				_("  (use \"git commit\" to conclude merge)"));
> +				_("  (use \"git merge --continue\" to conclude merge)"));
>   	}
>   	wt_longstatus_print_trailer(s);
>   }
> 
> base-commit: 5a7d1e8045ce66c908f62598e26cbb8df7b39a90