Author: FCM team

# FCM: User Guide: Annex: Quick Reference: Tree Conflict Resolution

## Introduction

A tree conflict appears in `fcm status` like this:

    !     C subroutine/hello_sub_dummy.h
          >   local missing, incoming edit upon merge

and can require complex action to solve, based on the situation. Happily, `fcm conflicts` automates the resolution of most ordinary tree conflicts.

This page is intended to give more information about the meaning of the common tree conflicts, and to give guidance on those that aren't handled automatically, such as directory tree conflicts.

The list below is ordered by output from `fcm status`. There are two choices that the user must make:

- keep local: Choose the local branch or revision version of a file or directory. Answer `y` in `fcm conflicts`.
- discard local: Choose the merge branch or other revision version of a file or directory. Answer `n` in `fcm conflicts`.

For example, if you are merging the trunk into a working copy of a branch, keep local would refer to keeping the changes as they existed on the branch; discard local would refer to accepting the trunk changes and discarding the branch ones.

In this page, we use the word local for your local working copy, and external for the outside source you are updating or merging in from. In the example above, local would mean your working copy of the branch; external would mean the trunk.

Subversion implements rename as a copy-and-delete operation. This means a rename can show up as a delete (or missing) in the tree conflict information.

It's very important to find out if your tree conflict arises from a rename, but this information has to be dug out of `fcm log`. A rename can have occurred locally or externally. An external rename would show up in `fcm status` as an addition with history (`A` with `+`): for example:

    A   +   FILENAME

`fcm log -v FILENAME` can be used to examine if this is really just a rename - it will show up as FILENAME (from ORIGINAL_FILENAME).

Local renames that have been committed won't show up in `fcm status`. These can still be found using `fcm log -v` for each filename, or you can try to remember what happened!

## Resolution List

This section contains specific help on different types of tree conflict.

Find the relevant section below by running `fcm status` and looking up the information below the file in conflict - e.g.:

    !     C subroutine/hello_sub_dummy.h
          >   local delete, incoming delete upon merge

in this case the `local delete, incoming delete upon merge` is the correct section header.

There are some situations not covered below - `local obstruction` is not covered here, as it is a case of the user corrupting the working copy - try a new checkout. Similarly, `local unversioned` is just a case of a problem with something in the working copy - an unversioned file or directory exists where Subversion wants to put the new stuff. Delete or move it, and try the merge again.

If you know that a rename has happened, use the `(renaming)` suffix for your section below. Otherwise, choose the `(no renaming)` suffix.

`fcm resolve` always takes the form `fcm resolve --accept working FILENAME` for tree conflicts.

`local add, incoming add upon merge`

  what it means: files or directories added with the same name independently

  what keep local does: uses rename to shuffle the old file to a different name, copies the new file in, renames the new file to the original name but with a temporary-style suffix (e.g. hello.F90 -> hello.F90.xD4r), and again renames the old file to the original name. (Then runs `fcm resolve`).

  what discarding local does: renames the old file to give it a temporary-style suffix (e.g. hello.F90 -> hello.F90.r6Ys), and copies the new file into the original name. (Then runs `fcm resolve`).

`local edit, incoming delete upon merge (no renaming)`

  meaning: file or directory modified on the branch locally, but deleted on the merge branch

  what keep local does: just runs `fcm resolve`.

  what discarding local does: deletes the file or directory and runs `fcm resolve`.

`local edit, incoming delete upon merge (renaming)`

  meaning: file modified on branch locally, but renamed on merge branch

  what keep local does: copies over the renamed file, and the common ancestor of the file on the branches, and uses them for a text conflict style merge into the old (local) filename. It then removes the renamed file and runs `fcm resolve`.

  what discarding local does: copies over the renamed file, and the common ancestor of the file on the branches, and uses them for a text conflict style merge into the new renamed file. It then deletes the old file and runs `fcm resolve`.

`local edit, incoming replace upon merge`

  meaning: file modified on branch locally, but replaced (deleted, and new file added) on merge branch

  what keep local does: just runs `fcm resolve`.

  what discarding local does: `svn delete` local file, and `svn copy` the incoming file into it. It then runs `fcm resolve`.

`local delete, incoming delete upon merge (no renaming)`

  meaning: same filename deleted both locally and externally.

  in both cases: just runs `fcm resolve`.

`local delete, incoming delete upon merge (just external renaming)`

  meaning: file deleted locally, but renamed externally

  what keep local does: just runs `fcm resolve`.

  what discarding local does: just deletes the new renamed file and runs `fcm resolve`.

`local delete, incoming delete upon merge (just local renaming)`

  meaning: file renamed locally, but deleted externally

  what keep local does: just runs `fcm resolve`.

  what discarding local does: deletes the local renamed file and runs `fcm resolve`.

`local delete, incoming delete upon merge (local renaming AND external renaming)`

  meaning: same file renamed locally AND externally, to two different names.

  what keep local does: copies in the external file and common ancestor file to construct a text-style merge using `xxdiff` into the locally-renamed filename. Removes the external rename and runs `fcm resolve`.

  what discarding local does: copies in the external file and common ancestor file to construct a text-style merge using `xxdiff` into the externally-renamed filename. Removes the local rename and runs `fcm resolve`.

`local missing, incoming edit upon merge (no renaming)`

  meaning: locally deleted file, add newer file from merge branch?

  what keep local does: just runs `fcm resolve`.

  what discarding local does: copies in the external file using its URL and runs `fcm resolve`.

`local missing, incoming edit upon merge (renaming)`

  meaning: locally renamed file, but external changes to the old filename

  what keep local does: copies in the external file and common ancestor to construct a text-style merge using `xxdiff`, into the locally-renamed filename. Runs `fcm resolve`.

  what discarding local does: copies in the external file and common ancestor to construct a text-style merge using `xxdiff`, into the original filename. Deletes the locally-renamed file and adds the original filename, then runs `fcm resolve`.