Re: [PATCH v3] status: suggest `git merge --continue`, not `git commit`

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

Hi Julia

On 09/10/2026 16:13, 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. 367ff69428
> (merge: add '--continue' option as a synonym for 'git commit', 2016-12-14)
> says that `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 version looks good to me, thanks for working on it

Phillip

> Signed-off-by: Julia Evans <julia@jvns.ca>
> ---
>      status: suggest git merge --continue, not git commit
>      
>      Changes in v2:
>      
>       * Use git show -s --format=reference to format the reference in the
>         commit message (thanks to Phillip)
>       * change to "conclude the merge" (thanks to Phillip)
>      
>      Changes in v3:
>      
>       * Actually format the reference correctly (oops)
> 
> Published-As: https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git/releases/tag/pr-2249%2Fjvns%2Fadvice-merge-v3
> Fetch-It-Via: git fetch https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git pr-2249/jvns/advice-merge-v3
> Pull-Request: https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git/pull/2249
> 
> Range-diff vs v2:
> 
>   1:  afc69ffeb8 ! 1:  27678e07a8 status: suggest `git merge --continue`, not `git commit`
>       @@ Commit message
>            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
>       -    `git merge --continue` is intended to be a synonym for `git commit`,
>       -    and the `git merge` man page already suggests to use
>       +    Change the `git merge` advice to be consistent. 367ff69428
>       +    (merge: add '--continue' option as a synonym for 'git commit', 2016-12-14)
>       +    says that `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`.
>        
>            Signed-off-by: Julia Evans <julia@jvns.ca>
> 
> 
>   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..f2e712ac39 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 the merge)
>   
>   Changes to be committed:
>   	modified:   main.txt
> diff --git a/wt-status.c b/wt-status.c
> index 57772c7501..238bb48643 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 the merge)"));
>   	}
>   	wt_longstatus_print_trailer(s);
>   }
> 
> base-commit: 5a7d1e8045ce66c908f62598e26cbb8df7b39a90