From: Yannik Tausch <dev@ytausch.de>
Date: Thu, 05 Feb 2026 15:06:04 GMT
Subject: [DOC] merge-file: document that merge.conflictStyle requires a repository
Message-ID: <48B1AA62-D7FF-439E-B770-1127E1EE0E79@ytausch.de>

Hi,

We noticed that `git merge-file` only respects the `merge.conflictStyle`
configuration when run inside a repository. Outside a repository, the
setting is ignored and only the `--diff3`/`--zdiff3` flags work.

Looking at the history, this appears to be intentional since b541248467
("merge.conflictstyle: choose between merge and diff3 -m styles", 2008),
which explicitly gates config reading on being inside a repository.

This behavior surprised me, and I couldn't find it documented anywhere.
Would a small documentation patch to git-merge-file.txt be welcome,
noting that the config is only read when inside a repository?

Something like adding to the --diff3 option description:

  When run inside a repository, the `merge.conflictStyle`
  configuration variable can be used as a default for this option.

Thanks,

Yannik Tausch