$ cp "$TESTDIR"/../contrib/simplemerge .

  $ echo base > base

  $ echo local > local

  $ cat base >> local

  $ cp local orig

  $ cat base > other

  $ echo other >> other

changing local directly

  $ python simplemerge local base other && echo "merge succeeded"

  merge succeeded

  $ cat local

  local

  base

  other

  $ cp orig local

printing to stdout

  $ python simplemerge -p local base other

  local

  base

  other

local:

  $ cat local

  local

  base

conflicts

  $ cp base conflict-local

  $ cp other conflict-other

  $ echo not other >> conflict-local

  $ echo end >> conflict-local

  $ echo end >> conflict-other

  $ python simplemerge -p conflict-local base conflict-other

  base

  <<<<<<< conflict-local

  not other

  =======

  other

  >>>>>>> conflict-other

  end

  warning: conflicts during merge.

  [1]

--no-minimal

  $ python simplemerge -p --no-minimal conflict-local base conflict-other

  base

  <<<<<<< conflict-local

  not other

  end

  =======

  other

  end

  >>>>>>> conflict-other

  warning: conflicts during merge.

  [1]

1 label

  $ python simplemerge -p -L foo conflict-local base conflict-other

  base

  <<<<<<< foo

  not other

  =======

  other

  >>>>>>> conflict-other

  end

  warning: conflicts during merge.

  [1]

2 labels

  $ python simplemerge -p -L foo -L bar conflict-local base conflict-other

  base

  <<<<<<< foo

  not other

  =======

  other

  >>>>>>> bar

  end

  warning: conflicts during merge.

  [1]

too many labels

  $ python simplemerge -p -L foo -L bar -L baz conflict-local base conflict-other

  abort: can only specify two labels.

  [255]

binary file

  $ python -c "f = file('binary-local', 'w'); f.write('\x00'); f.close()"

  $ cat orig >> binary-local

  $ python simplemerge -p binary-local base other

  abort: binary-local looks like a binary file.

  [255]

binary file --text

  $ python simplemerge -a -p binary-local base other 2>&1

  warning: binary-local looks like a binary file.

  \x00local (esc)

  base

  other

help

  $ python simplemerge --help

  simplemerge [OPTS] LOCAL BASE OTHER

      Simple three-way file merge utility with a minimal feature set.

      Apply to LOCAL the changes necessary to go from BASE to OTHER.

      By default, LOCAL is overwritten with the results of this operation.

  options:

   -L --label       labels to use on conflict markers

   -a --text        treat all files as text

   -p --print       print results instead of overwriting LOCAL

      --no-minimal  do not try to minimize conflict regions

   -h --help        display help and exit

   -q --quiet       suppress output

wrong number of arguments

  $ python simplemerge

  simplemerge: wrong number of arguments

  simplemerge [OPTS] LOCAL BASE OTHER

      Simple three-way file merge utility with a minimal feature set.

      Apply to LOCAL the changes necessary to go from BASE to OTHER.

      By default, LOCAL is overwritten with the results of this operation.

  options:

   -L --label       labels to use on conflict markers

   -a --text        treat all files as text

   -p --print       print results instead of overwriting LOCAL

      --no-minimal  do not try to minimize conflict regions

   -h --help        display help and exit

   -q --quiet       suppress output

  [1]

bad option

  $ python simplemerge --foo -p local base other

  simplemerge: option --foo not recognized

  simplemerge [OPTS] LOCAL BASE OTHER

      Simple three-way file merge utility with a minimal feature set.

      Apply to LOCAL the changes necessary to go from BASE to OTHER.

      By default, LOCAL is overwritten with the results of this operation.

  options:

   -L --label       labels to use on conflict markers

   -a --text        treat all files as text

   -p --print       print results instead of overwriting LOCAL

      --no-minimal  do not try to minimize conflict regions

   -h --help        display help and exit

   -q --quiet       suppress output

  [1]