Glossary · Automation software engineering and architecture
Merge
Also known as: Branch merge
German: Zusammenführung
In version control, a merge is the operation that combines the changes of two branches into one, producing a result that contains the work of both.
- Software engineering
In one sentence
A merge combines the changes of two version control branches into one result that contains the work of both.
Example
After the review of the new homing sequence is approved, the developer merges the feature branch into the main branch of the machine software repository.
How it applies
- Engineering: Merges are the point where parallel work is integrated. Most teams merge through a Pull request so that review and automated tests run first.
- PLC and model projects: Text-based code merges well; binary or proprietary project formats of engineering tools often cannot be merged line by line and need tool-specific compare-and-merge functions or exclusive editing.
- Documentation: A merge into the main branch is a good trigger for the documentation team to check whether the change affects the manual. Linking the documentation ticket to the merged change supports Traceability and Change control.
Merge vs. rebase
A merge keeps both histories and records their joining point. A rebase rewrites one branch so its commits appear on top of the other, giving a linear history. Both integrate changes; teams choose one policy to keep the history readable.