$ git merge idea
Updating → Fast-forward
MODULE 02 · 5 MIN READ
Merging — the happy case
Bring the experiment home. The direction rule that confuses everyone, compressed: stand on the receiver, merge the giver. Switch to main, then merge idea in.
$ git switch main
$ git merge idea
Updating → Fast-forward
main simply caught up to idea. No drama.
$ git branch -d idea
Deleted branch idea (just the label — its commits are safe).
Git says fast-forward: main simply caught up to idea, because main hadn't moved in the meantime — no new commit is needed, the label just slides forward. Afterwards you can delete the label; the commits stay, safe in main's history.
COMMIT GRAPH · on branch main
a tiny simulated laptop — your Day 1 repo is preloaded.
// try: git switch main → git merge idea → git branch -d idea → git log