[PATCH v3] status: suggest `git merge --continue`, not `git commit`

From

Julia Evans via GitGitGadget <gitgitgadget@gmail.com>

Date

Oct 9, 2026, 15:13 UTC

Message-ID

<pull.2249.v3.git.1791558823445.gitgitgadget@gmail.com>

In-Reply-To

<pull.2249.git.1791291762665.gitgitgadget@gmail.com>

From: Julia Evans <julia@jvns.ca>

Signed-off-by: Julia Evans <julia@jvns.ca>
---
    status: suggest git merge --continue, not git commit
    
    Changes in v2:
    
     * Use git show -s --format=reference to format the reference in the
       commit message (thanks to Phillip)
     * change to "conclude the merge" (thanks to Phillip)
    
    Changes in v3:
    
     * Actually format the reference correctly (oops)

Published-As: https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git/releases/tag/pr-2249%2Fjvns%2Fadvice-merge-v3
Fetch-It-Via: git fetch https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git pr-2249/jvns/advice-merge-v3
Pull-Request: https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git/pull/2249

Range-diff vs v2:

 1:  afc69ffeb8 ! 1:  27678e07a8 status: suggest `git merge --continue`, not `git commit`
     @@ Commit message
          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
     +    Change the `git merge` advice to be consistent. 367ff69428
     +    (merge: add '--continue' option as a synonym for 'git commit', 2016-12-14)
     +    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>

 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..f2e712ac39 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 the merge)
 
 Changes to be committed:
 	modified:   main.txt
diff --git a/wt-status.c b/wt-status.c
index 57772c7501..238bb48643 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 the merge)"));
 	}
 	wt_longstatus_print_trailer(s);
 }

base-commit: 5a7d1e8045ce66c908f62598e26cbb8df7b39a90

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