merge(1)                                                 merge(1)



NAME
     merge - merges three files into one

SYNOPSIS
     merge [-p] file1 file2 file3

ARGUMENTS
     file1
          Specifies the file into which the other files will be
          merged, if the -p option is not given.

     file2
          Specifies a file to be merged into file1.

     file3
          Specifies a file to be merged into file1.

     -p   Causes the results of the merge to go to the standard
          output.  If this option is not given, the results go
          into file1.

DESCRIPTION
     merge incorporates all changes that lead from file2 to file3
     into file1.  merge is useful for combining separate changes
     to an original.  Suppose file2 is the original, and both
     file1 and file3 are modifications of file2.  Then merge
     combines both changes.

     An overlap occurs if both file1 and file3 have changes in a
     common segment of lines.  merge prints information on how
     many overlaps occurred and includes both alternatives in the
     result.  The alternatives are delimited as follows:

        <<<<<<< file1
        lines in file1
        =======
        lines in file3
        >>>>>>> file3

     If there are overlaps, the user should edit the result and
     delete one of the alternatives.

NOTES
     Author: Walter F. Tichy, Purdue University, West Lafayette,
     IN 47907.
               c
     Copyright   1982 by Walter F. Tichy.

SEE ALSO
     co(1), diff(1), diff3(1), rcsmerge(1)






January 1992                                                    1