# Demonstration: A Conflict, Caused and Resolved on Purpose

## OBSERVE

Two branches both changed line 1 of `config.txt` — `main` to `"env=production"`, `feature` to
`"env=staging"`.

## HYPOTHESIS

Predict what `git merge feature` will do.

## INSPECT

```
$ git merge feature
Auto-merging config.txt
CONFLICT (content): Merge conflict in config.txt
Automatic merge failed; fix conflicts and then commit the result.
```

Exactly as predicted — Git refuses to guess.

## CHANGE

```
$ cat config.txt
<<<<<<< HEAD
env=production
=======
env=staging
>>>>>>> feature
```

Decide the real answer — here, say `env=production` is correct — and edit the file to exactly
that, deleting all three marker lines.

## VERIFY

```
$ git add config.txt
$ git commit -m "Merge feature, keep production config"
$ git log --oneline --graph
*   a1b2c3d Merge feature, keep production config
|\
| * 9f8e7d6 Update from feature
* | 3d2c1b0 Update from main
|/
* 0a1b2c3 Initial commit
```

The graph shows exactly what happened: two lines of history, deliberately combined.

## Instructor Notes

**Demo goal:** Walk a real conflict from cause to resolution without skipping any step,
reinforcing that resolution means making an explicit CHOICE, not applying a trick.

**Approximate timing:** 10 minutes live.

**Common mistake to watch for:** leaving conflict markers accidentally in the "resolved" file
(easy to miss one) — `grep '<<<<<<<' file` before committing catches this reliably.