Three-way merge

Learn the three-way merge commit.

Three-Way Merge

When two branches share a common history but both contain separate commits, Git can perform a three-way merge. Git combines changes by comparing the common ancestor commit with the latest commits of both branches.

       B -- C  (main)
      /
A ---
      \
       D -- E  (feature)

This operation generally creates a new merge commit that joins the two branches.

How Is a Merge Commit Created?

When a three-way merge completes, Git creates a merge commit that connects the histories of both branches. Unlike a regular commit, this commit has two parent commits.

       B -- C ---- M  (main)
      /          /
A ---          /
      \       /
       D -- E    (feature)

The M commit represents the merge result and preserves the history of both branches.

Exercise Build a Merge Commit Command

While on the main branch, merge the feature branch by creating a separate merge commit instead of fast-forwarding. Assign the command to mergeCommand and print it.

Show example solution

const mergeCommand = "git merge --no-ff feature";

console.log(mergeCommand);

Test yourself

Which three commits does Git consider in a three-way merge?
- The first commits of both branches and the latest commit
- The three oldest commits
- The common ancestor and the latest commits of both branches
- Only the three latest commits of the current branch
Show answer

The common ancestor and the latest commits of both branches — A three-way merge uses the common ancestor commit and the latest commit from each branch.

The Merge Commit Option

git switch main
git merge ____

Show answer

git switch main
git merge --no-ff feature

Three-Way Merge Components

Ortak ata

The shared branch history
İki dalın sonu

The compared tip commits
Merge commit

A commit with two parents
Üç yönlü işlem

Compares three commits

Next lesson: Summary - Merging

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