git_merge: Git merge

In gert: Simple Git Client for R

Git merge

Description

Use git_merge() to merge a branch into the current head. Based on how the branches have diverged, the function will select a fast-forward or merge-commit strategy.

Other functions are more low-level tools that are used by git_merge():

• git_merge_find_base() looks up the commit where two branches have diverged (i.e. the youngest common ancestor).

• git_merge_analysis() is used to test if a merge can simply be fast forwarded or not.

• git_merge_stage_only() applies and stages changes, without committing or fast-forwarding.

• git_conflicts() lists merge conflicts.

Usage

git_merge(ref, commit = TRUE, squash = FALSE, repo = ".")

git_merge_stage_only(ref, squash = FALSE, repo = ".")

git_merge_find_base(ref, target = "HEAD", repo = ".")

git_merge_analysis(ref, repo = ".")

git_merge_abort(repo = ".")

git_commit_descendant_of(ancestor, ref = "HEAD", repo = ".")

git_conflicts(repo = ".")

Arguments

ref	branch or commit that you want to merge
commit	automatically create a merge commit if the merge succeeds without conflicts. Set this to FALSE if you want to customize your commit message/author.
squash	omits the second parent from the commit, which make the merge a regular single-parent commit.
repo	The path to the git repository. If the directory is not a repository, parent directories are considered (see git_find()). To disable this search, provide the filepath protected with I(). When using this parameter, always explicitly call by name (i.e. ⁠repo = ⁠) because future versions of gert may have additional parameters.
target	the branch where you want to merge into. Defaults to current HEAD.
ancestor	a reference to a potential ancestor commit

Details

By default git_merge() automatically commits the merge commit upon success. However if the merge fails with merge-conflicts, or if commit is set to FALSE, the changes are staged and the repository is put in merging state, and you have to manually run git_commit() or git_merge_abort() to proceed.

Related libgit2 documentation

merge.

See Also

Other git: git_archive, git_branch(), git_commit(), git_config(), git_diff(), git_fetch(), git_history, git_ignore, git_rebase(), git_remote, git_repo, git_reset(), git_restore(), git_revert(), git_signature(), git_stash, git_tag, git_worktree

gert documentation built on July 22, 2026, 5:07 p.m.