vc-changelog

Introduction to git-merge-changelog

git-merge-changelog is currently the only component of vc-changelog.

The default merge driver of git always produces conflicts when pulling public modifications into a privately modified ChangeLog file. This is because ChangeLog files are always modified at the top; the default merge driver has no clue how to deal with this. Furthermore the conflicts are presented with more <<<< ==== >>>> markers than necessary; this is because the default merge driver makes pointless efforts to look at the individual line changes inside a ChangeLog entry.

This program serves as a git merge driver that avoids these problems.

It produces no conflict when ChangeLog entries have been inserted at the top both in the public and in the private modification. It puts the privately added entries above the publicly added entries.
It respects the structure of ChangeLog files: entries are not split into lines but kept together.
It also handles the case of small modifications of past ChangeLog entries, or of removed ChangeLog entries: they are merged as one would expect it.
Conflicts are presented at the top of the file, rather than where they occurred, so that the user will see them immediately. (Unlike for source code written in some programming language, conflict markers that are located several hundreds lines from the top will not cause any syntax error and therefore would be likely to remain unnoticed.)

Documentation

See the INSTALL file.

Downloading git-merge-changelog

git-merge-changelog can soon be downloaded from https://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/vc-changelog/git-merge-changelog-1.0.tar.gz. For other ways to obtain git-merge-changelog, please read How to get GNU Software.

The latest development sources can be obtained through the savannah project.

Bug reports

Report bugs

in the bug tracker at https://savannah.gnu.org/projects/vc-changelog/
or by email to <bug-vc-changelog-antispam@antispam.gnu.org>.

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Please send general FSF & GNU inquiries to <gnu@gnu.org>. There are also other ways to contact the FSF.
Please send broken links and other corrections or suggestions to <bug-vc-changelog-antispam@antispam.gnu.org>.

Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is permitted in any medium, provided this notice is preserved.

Last updated: $Date: 2025年08月06日 05:20:14 $ $Author: haible $