git - To resolve a merge conflict, how do I see what change the other branch was making? -

i pulled latest code repository git pull --rebase. local commit conflicts 1 of remote commits. file in question has merge markers in it, can compare version version, want know change other version trying make? want diff other change our common ancestor. how do that?

(edit: gah, had broken diagram , description, let's fix it:)

this command show everything changed, , might want isolate changes specific commit or set of commits and/or files within commits, consider doing:

$ git diff $(git merge-base master origin/master) origin/master 

(assuming you're on branch master). tells git compare common ancestor commit "their" head commit.

here's rough sketch of what's going on. suppose started commits a, b, , c obtained origin (the repo cloned). made commits d , e , made f , g. you're in middle of conflicted rebase. (i've assumed here change in d rebased successfully, giving commit d', , problem @ e.) +i,w means there stuff in index and/or working directory not yet committed—that's commit conflicts, need resolve.

            d - e              <-- master           / - b - c           d' +i,w    <-- head (detached)           \       /             f - g              <-- origin/master 

in case, git merge-base master origin/master finds commit c, common point rebase.

meanwhile origin/master names commit g. so:

git diff <name-of-commit-c> origin/master 

shows did, in both commits f , g (compares contents of g contents of c). of course, can use git log find individual commits, or name them names origin/master~1. can git show origin/master @ recent change g, , git show origin/master~1 show change f.

eventually, if once resolve conflicts , git rebase --continue , reaches end, git move branch label (master) head points, , set head refer master, rather being "detached". or, if use git rebase --abort abandon new chain , restore old master (which can re-rebase later).

(incidentally, 1 case graphical tools gitk come in handy. bring gitk --all or gitk head master origin/master on conflicted rebase , it's easy see conflicting commit is.)

for tough merge cases, there's git-imerge, have not used (yet) looks nice.