# Overview
An **Automatic Merge Failure** occurs whenever there are competing changes made to the same line by two developers, or when one developer is working on a file and another developer deletes it. Merge conflicts are relatively common whenever you commit. 

It is essential to identify and resolve conflicts. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to deal with Automatic Merge Failure. 

## Step 1
Open git bash and go to the repository in which the merge conflict arose:
```terminal
cd {RepositoryName}
```

## Step 2
Write `git status` to generate a list of files that have a merge conflict.

## Step 3 
Open the highlighted file using the `git status` command in an #key# IDE: An integrated development environment is a software application that provides comprehensive facilities for software development #key#, and search for conflict markers: `<<<<<<<`, `=======`, and `<<<<<<<`.

You will find something like this:
```terminal
<<<<<<< HEAD
abc123
=======
def456
>>>>>>> branch-ed
```
- `<<<<<<< HEAD` shows the change made from the base branch. 
- `=======` separates the conflicts. 
- `>>>>>>> branch-ed` shows the branch where the conflicting change was made. 

In this example, there is a conflict in the same line of code; the base branch wrote `abc123`, whereas, the branch `branch-ed` wrote `def456`.

## Step 4
Decide which version you want to incorporate: base branch one, sub-branch one, both, or a new one. Make the changes to the file and save them. 

Suppose you want to change the `branch-ed`: go to that branch, change `def456` to `abc123`, and save the file. Add the file as you go:
```terminal
git add
```

## Step 5
Commit your changes and add a comment to highlight the change made manually:
```terminal
git commit -m "Changed branch-ed from def123 to abc123"
```

Automatic merge failed; Git error

Merge conflicts occur when edits clash on the same line or file. Identify and resolve using git status and IDE tools.