ec (easy-conflict)

Terminal Git mergetool with a 3-way TUI and Neovim integration

ec demo resolving git merge conflicts in terminal

With Lazygit

ec with lazygit

ec (easy-conflict) is a 3-way terminal native Git merge conflict resolver. Supports diff3 base comparison, and helps you resolve merge conflicts faster without leaving the terminal.

Features

3 pane TUI with ours, result, and theirs
Diff3 base view when available via git merge-file
No args mode that lists conflicted files and lets you pick one
Non interactive modes for CI or scripts
Optional backup of the merged file

Installation

Homebrew

brew install chojs23/tap/ec

Nix

Install the packaged release from nixpkgs:

nix profile add nixpkgs#ec

Run the latest repo state without installing:

nix run github:chojs23/ec

Install the latest repo state into your profile:

nix profile add github:chojs23/ec

The nixpkgs package can lag behind the latest upstream release. Use the direct repo commands above if you want the newest branch or tag immediately.

Install script

You can run the installer through Make:

make install

On Windows, this runs scripts/install.ps1.
On Linux/macOS, this runs scripts/install.sh.

Go install

go install github.com/chojs23/ec/cmd/ec@latest

Via curl

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/chojs23/ec/main/scripts/install.sh | sh

Arch Linux (AUR)

build from source:

pikaur -S easy-conflict

binary:

pikaur -S easy-conflict-bin

Windows

Download a Windows binary from GitHub Releases and add it to your PATH.

PowerShell installer (default: latest release, install to $HOME\\.local\\bin):

irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/chojs23/ec/main/scripts/install.ps1 | iex

Available release artifacts:

ec-windows-amd64.exe
ec-windows-arm64.exe

Build from source

make build

Quick start

Run with no args inside a git repo that has conflicts

ec

Notes

ec does not run git add after you write

Git will still decide whether the merge is resolved based on the file contents

Git mergetool configuration

You can set ec as your git mergetool by adding this to your git config

git config --global merge.tool ec
git config --global mergetool.ec.cmd 'ec "$BASE" "$LOCAL" "$REMOTE" "$MERGED"'
git config --global mergetool.ec.trustExitCode true

Jujutsu merge-editor configuration

You can set ec as your jujutsu merge-editor by adding this to your jujutsu config

jj config set --user ui.merge-editor 'ec'
jj config set --user merge-tools.ec.merge-args '["$base", "$left", "$right", "$output"]'

Usage

Interactive

ec <BASE> <LOCAL> <REMOTE> <MERGED>
ec --base <path> --local <path> --remote <path> --merged <path>

No args mode

ec

Non interactive

ec --check --merged <path>
ec --apply-all ours --base <path> --local <path> --remote <path> --merged <path>

Neovim plugin (terminal buffer)

This repo includes a minimal Neovim plugin that opens ec in a terminal buffer.

Install with your plugin manager and ensure ec is on your PATH.

Minimal config

require("ec").setup()

Using lazy.nvim

{
  "chojs23/ec",
  keys = {
    { "<leader>gr", ":Ec<CR>", desc = "Open ec" },
  },
}

<details> <summary>Default config</summary>

{
  cmd = "ec",
  open_cmd = "tabnew",
  cwd = nil,
  float = true,
  close_on_exit = true,
}

Option notes:

cmd: executable name or list with default args; :Ec args are appended.
open_cmd: Vim command used when float is disabled or unavailable.
cwd: working directory for ec; string path or function; defaults to getcwd().
float: enable floating window; table merges with float defaults.
close_on_exit: close terminal on successful exit code 0.

Float defaults when float = true:

{
  width = 0.92,
  height = 0.86,
  border = "rounded",
  title = "ec",
  title_pos = "center",
  zindex = 50,
}

Float option notes:

width and height: fractions of editor when <= 1, otherwise absolute size.
border: floating window border style.
title: title text for the float.
title_pos: title alignment.
zindex: float stacking order.

</details>

Commands

:Ec
:Ec --base <path> --local <path> --remote <path> --merged <path>

Resolver screen

The resolver shows three panes in one view.

Conflicts are shown as focused blocks. The center pane is the output that will be written to the merged file.

You can move between conflicts, choose a side, and apply it. The status line shows which conflict you are on and whether it is resolved.

Use e to open $EDITOR with the current result. When you exit the editor, the resolver reloads the merged file and keeps manual edits.

Blue: modified lines (changed vs base)

Green: added lines

Red: conflicted lines where both sides differ

Key bindings

Keybindings are vim-like by default.

Navigation

n / p: next and previous conflict
gg / G: jump to top / bottom
zz: recenter on selected hunk start
j / k / up / down: vertical scroll
ctrl+u / ctrl+d: half-page up / down
H / L / left / right: horizontal scroll

Selection and apply

h / l: select ours or theirs
a / space: accept selection
o / t / b / x: apply ours, theirs, both, or none
d: discard selection
O / T: apply ours or theirs to all

Other

u: undo
ctrl+r: redo
e: open $EDITOR with current result
w / ctrl+s: write file without quitting
q: back to selector or quit

Theme configuration

The TUI can load colors from a theme config file.

Config path:

$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/ec/themes.json (when XDG_CONFIG_HOME is set)

If XDG_CONFIG_HOME is not set, ec uses os.UserConfigDir()/ec/themes.json. Typical defaults are ~/.config/ec/themes.json on Linux, ~/Library/Application Support/ec/themes.json on macOS, and %AppData%\ec\themes.json on Windows.

Example:

{
  "default": "warm",
  "themes": {
    "warm": {
      "header_bg": "94",
      "header_fg": "230",
      "added_bg": "58",
      "conflicted_bg": "88",
      "result_fg": "#f1f1f1",
      "modified_bg": "#2f5f7a"
    }
  }
}

Missing keys fall back to the built-in defaults.

Hex colors require a TrueColor-capable terminal to avoid 256-color downsampling.

Supported keys: title_fg, pane_border, selected_pane_border, side_pane_border, selected_side_border, header_bg, header_fg, footer_bg, footer_fg, line_number, ours_highlight_bg, ours_highlight_fg, theirs_highlight_bg, theirs_highlight_fg, result_fg, result_highlight_bg, result_highlight_fg, modified_bg, modified_fg, added_bg, added_fg, removed_bg, removed_fg, conflicted_bg, conflicted_fg, insert_marker_fg, selected_hunk_marker_fg, selected_hunk_marker_bg, selected_hunk_bg, status_resolved_fg, status_unresolved_fg, result_resolved_marker_fg, result_resolved_border, result_unresolved_border, toast_bg, toast_fg, selector_resolved_fg, selector_unresolved_fg, dim_foreground_light, dim_foreground_dark, dim_foreground_muted.

<details> <summary>Default theme colors</summary>

| Key | Default | | --------------------------- | ------- | | title_fg | 170 | | pane_border | 63 | | selected_pane_border | 205 | | side_pane_border | 255 | | selected_side_border | 33 | | header_bg | 62 | | header_fg | 230 | | footer_bg | 236 | | footer_fg | 243 | | line_number | 241 | | ours_highlight_bg | 24 | | ours_highlight_fg | 230 | | theirs_highlight_bg | 52 | | theirs_highlight_fg | 230 | | result_fg | 231 | | result_highlight_bg | 60 | | result_highlight_fg | 230 | | modified_bg | 24 | | modified_fg | 231 | | added_bg | 28 | | added_fg | 231 | | removed_bg | 237 | | removed_fg | 250 | | conflicted_bg | 131 | | conflicted_fg | 231 | | insert_marker_fg | 196 | | selected_hunk_marker_fg | 226 | | selected_hunk_marker_bg | 88 | | selected_hunk_bg | 236 | | status_resolved_fg | 42 | | status_unresolved_fg | 196 | | result_resolved_marker_fg | 42 | | result_resolved_border | 42 | | result_unresolved_border | 196 | | toast_bg | 22 | | toast_fg | 230 | | selector_resolved_fg | 42 | | selector_unresolved_fg | 196 | | dim_foreground_light | 231 | | dim_foreground_dark | 16 | | dim_foreground_muted | 244 |