[PATCH] status: suggest `git merge --continue`, not `git commit`

From: Julia Evans via GitGitGadget <gitgitgadget@gmail.com>
Date: Oct 6, 2026, 13:02 UTC
Message-ID: <pull.2249.git.1791291762665.gitgitgadget@gmail.com>

From: Julia Evans <julia@jvns.ca>

During a merge conflict, we suggest using --continue to continue the merge for rebase, revert, and cherry-pick.

Change the `git merge` advice to be consistent. Commit 367ff694281ce569edd8f6e444fc770f92f5d215 says that `git merge --continue` is intended to be a synonym for `git commit`, and the `git merge` man page already suggests to use `git merge --continue`.

Signed-off-by: Julia Evans <julia@jvns.ca>
---
    status: suggest git merge --continue, not git commit
    
    We discussed making this consistent in another thread:
    https://lore.kernel.org/git/623cdf71-8076-4967-aff1-3ebeb57d1e3a@app.fastmail.com/T/#m4bdcb555cbdff4132fb1a678594f26b598e0b38f
    
    From some research:
    
     * git merge --continue was introduced in 367ff694281c in Dec 2016. It
       says that git merge --continue is intended to be a synonym for git
       commit. (thread here:
       https://lore.kernel.org/git/20161214083757.26412-1-judge.packham@gmail.com/)
     * This line of the advice was last touched in July 2016, before git
       merge --continue was introduced.
    
    So I don't see any obvious reason not to change the advice.
    
    Translations will need to be updated, I still don't know how that
    process works. Updating the translations should be straightforward since
    it's just a change in the command.

Published-As: https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git/releases/tag/pr-2249%2Fjvns%2Fadvice-merge-v1
Fetch-It-Via: git fetch https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git pr-2249/jvns/advice-merge-v1
Pull-Request: https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git/pull/2249

 t/t7060-wtstatus.sh    | 8 ++++----
 t/t7512-status-help.sh | 4 ++--
 wt-status.c            | 4 ++--
 3 files changed, 8 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-)

diff --git a/t/t7060-wtstatus.sh b/t/t7060-wtstatus.sh
index 942ddbbf0e..a9b435b5e3 100755
--- a/t/t7060-wtstatus.sh
+++ b/t/t7060-wtstatus.sh
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ test_expect_success 'M/D conflict does not segfault' '
 	cat >expect <<EOF &&
 On branch side
 You have unmerged paths.
-  (fix conflicts and run "git commit")
+  (fix conflicts and run "git merge --continue")
   (use "git merge --abort" to abort the merge)
 
 Unmerged paths:
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ test_expect_success 'status when conflicts with add and rm advice (deleted by th
 	cat >expected <<\EOF &&
 On branch main
 You have unmerged paths.
-  (fix conflicts and run "git commit")
+  (fix conflicts and run "git merge --continue")
   (use "git merge --abort" to abort the merge)
 
 Unmerged paths:
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ test_expect_success 'status when conflicts with add and rm advice (both deleted)
 	cat >expected <<\EOF &&
 On branch conflict_second
 You have unmerged paths.
-  (fix conflicts and run "git commit")
+  (fix conflicts and run "git merge --continue")
   (use "git merge --abort" to abort the merge)
 
 Unmerged paths:
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ test_expect_success 'status when conflicts with only rm advice (both deleted)' '
 	cat >expected <<\EOF &&
 On branch conflict_second
 You have unmerged paths.
-  (fix conflicts and run "git commit")
+  (fix conflicts and run "git merge --continue")
   (use "git merge --abort" to abort the merge)
 
 Changes to be committed:
diff --git a/t/t7512-status-help.sh b/t/t7512-status-help.sh
index aca4b6d332..776a0dd5b8 100755
--- a/t/t7512-status-help.sh
+++ b/t/t7512-status-help.sh
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ test_expect_success 'status when conflicts unresolved' '
 	cat >expected <<\EOF &&
 On branch conflicts
 You have unmerged paths.
-  (fix conflicts and run "git commit")
+  (fix conflicts and run "git merge --continue")
   (use "git merge --abort" to abort the merge)
 
 Unmerged paths:
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ test_expect_success 'status when conflicts resolved before commit' '
 	cat >expected <<\EOF &&
 On branch conflicts
 All conflicts fixed but you are still merging.
-  (use "git commit" to conclude merge)
+  (use "git merge --continue" to conclude merge)
 
 Changes to be committed:
 	modified:   main.txt
diff --git a/wt-status.c b/wt-status.c
index 57772c7501..f7b0dc29d5 100644
--- a/wt-status.c
+++ b/wt-status.c
@@ -1273,7 +1273,7 @@ static void show_merge_in_progress(struct wt_status *s,
 		status_printf_ln(s, color, _("You have unmerged paths."));
 		if (s->hints) {
 			status_printf_ln(s, color,
-					 _("  (fix conflicts and run \"git commit\")"));
+					 _("  (fix conflicts and run \"git merge --continue\")"));
 			status_printf_ln(s, color,
 					 _("  (use \"git merge --abort\" to abort the merge)"));
 		}
@@ -1282,7 +1282,7 @@ static void show_merge_in_progress(struct wt_status *s,
 			_("All conflicts fixed but you are still merging."));
 		if (s->hints)
 			status_printf_ln(s, color,
-				_("  (use \"git commit\" to conclude merge)"));
+				_("  (use \"git merge --continue\" to conclude merge)"));
 	}
 	wt_longstatus_print_trailer(s);
 }

base-commit: 5a7d1e8045ce66c908f62598e26cbb8df7b39a90

-- 
gitgitgadget