excluding files from a merge

Our project has two main branches set up, one called 'development, and another called 'production'.

Each branch has a file in it called database.yml, (this is a rails project)...
 The development branch and the 
production branch are supposed to have different versions of this file. 
(and not only this file, but other 
config sorts of files as well, but this is a good example).

At the same time, when development is ready for deployment, we will do git checkout production git merge development

I would like it if every file was merged, except for files that were explictly excluded from a merge between these two branches. Is there a good way to do this?

-Daniel

On Sat, Mar 14, 2009 at 9:23 PM, Daniel Jacobs <djacobs7@gmail.com> wrote:

Please see http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.comp.version-control.git/110488 (Is there a way to exclude user-specified files or directories from participating in merges?)

I believe it is the same use case, and Junio provided a very detailed reply.

HTH,

j.

Quoting Jay Soffian <jaysoffian@gmail.com>:

Would it help to have the final summary by Sitaram Chamarty

    http://article.gmane.org/gmane.comp.version-control.git/110697

somewhere under Documentation/howto?

On Sun, Mar 15, 2009 at 6:14 PM, Nanako Shiraishi <nanako3@lavabit.com> wrote:

I don't think it would hurt. A good explanation of remote tracking branches, local branches, and what --track means might not hurt either. :-)

j.