The merge editor considered harmful

[yairchu]

Type: Bug

VS Code's new merge editor perpetuates the dangerous myth that merging without seeing the base is safe.

For a simple explanation on why it is error-prone, I suggest to watch the beginning of this video: https://youtu.be/c3eV5HVdUuk

As it stands this merge editor provides negative value as it directs people towards errornous methods of merging.

Btw thanks for making VS Code ❤️ it is a wonderful tool!

VS Code version: Code 1.71.0 (Universal) (784b0177c56c607789f9638da7b6bf3230d47a8c, 2022-09-01T07:25:38.437Z) OS version: Darwin arm64 21.6.0 Modes: Sandboxed: No

System Info

|Item|Value| |---|---| |CPUs|Apple M1 (8 x 24)| |GPU Status|2d_canvas: enabled
canvas_oop_rasterization: disabled_off
direct_rendering_display_compositor: disabled_off_ok
gpu_compositing: enabled
metal: disabled_off
multiple_raster_threads: enabled_on
opengl: enabled_on
rasterization: enabled
raw_draw: disabled_off_ok
skia_renderer: enabled_on
video_decode: enabled
video_encode: enabled
vulkan: disabled_off
webgl: enabled
webgl2: enabled
webgpu: disabled_off| |Load (avg)|2, 2, 2| |Memory (System)|16.00GB (0.09GB free)| |Process Argv|. --crash-reporter-id e872185d-1cd7-4ffb-b635-611fc30ec933| |Screen Reader|no| |VM|0%|

Extensions (28)

Extension|Author (truncated)|Version ---|---|--- Nix|bbe|1.0.1 toml|be5|0.6.0 better-toml|bun|0.3.2 dhall-lang|dha|0.0.4 githistory|don|0.6.19 graphviz-preview|EFa|1.5.0 go|gol|0.34.1 haskell|has|2.2.1 elixir-ls|Jak|0.9.0 svg|joc|1.4.17 vscode-random|jre|1.11.0 language-haskell|jus|3.6.0 python|ms-|2022.12.0 vscode-pylance|ms-|2022.2.3 jupyter|ms-|2022.7.1002181843 jupyter-keymap|ms-|1.0.0 jupyter-renderers|ms-|1.0.9 cmake-tools|ms-|1.9.2 vsliveshare|ms-|1.0.5330 apple-crashlog|Myk|0.0.1 rust|rus|0.7.8 vscode-header-source|ryz|1.3.0 html5-boilerplate|sid|1.1.1 sourcery|sou|0.12.3 html-preview-vscode|tht|0.2.5 org-mode|too|0.5.0 cmake|twx|0.0.17 vscode-lldb|vad|1.6.10

A/B Experiments

``` vsliv368cf:30146710 vsreu685:30147344 python383cf:30185419 vspor879:30202332 vspor708:30202333 vspor363:30204092 vslsvsres303:30308271 pythonvspyl392:30443607 vserr242:30382549 pythontb:30283811 vsjup518:30340749 pythonptprofiler:30281270 vshan820:30294714 vstes263:30335439 vscorecescf:30445987 pythondataviewer:30285071 vscod805cf:30301675 binariesv615:30325510 bridge0708:30335490 bridge0723:30353136 cmake_vspar411cf:30557515 vsaa593:30376534 pythonvs932:30410667 cppdebug:30492333 vscaac:30438847 pylanb8912:30545647 vsclangdc:30486549 c4g48928:30535728 hb751961:30553087 dsvsc012cf:30540253 azure-dev_surveyone:30548225 2144e591:30553903 ```

[gjsjohnmurray]

/duplicate of https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/issues/155277

[VSCodeTriageBot]

Thanks for creating this issue! We figured it's covering the same as another one we already have. Thus, we closed this one as a duplicate. You can search for similar existing issues. See also our issue reporting guidelines.

Happy Coding!

[yairchu]

/duplicate of #155277

It isn't really a duplicate because I'm requesting to remove the current merge editor and the other issue requests creating a correct one, which is also a very valid request but also a more difficult task.

[gjsjohnmurray]

I'm requesting to remove the current merge editor

"git.mergeEditor": false

[yairchu]

I'm requesting to remove the current merge editor

"git.mergeEditor": false

What you suggest will only help you and me, but I request to help everyone avoid mistakes and bugs perpetuated by this dangerous myth.

[yairchu]

Now that https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/issues/155277 is closed, can we re-open this one to request removing the bug-prone option of hiding the base?