# Using Git merge on ADL / json files

**Category:** [Clinical](https://discourse.openehr.org/c/clinical/5)
**Created:** 2023-11-29 17:11 UTC
**Views:** 361
**Replies:** 4
**URL:** https://discourse.openehr.org/t/using-git-merge-on-adl-json-files/4717

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## Post #1 by @ian.mcnicoll

We are aware that quite a few folks are using git-backed model repos and e.g branches. Is anyone using git merge to fold branch changes back into main? Does it work or ....

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## Post #3 by @joostholslag

What do you mean with ‘work’ exactly. Adl is just a ‘text’ file. Nedap CDR has archetypes and templates (in adl) in a git repo. Often updates to either are replacement of the original file. But if you have the same filename (without full version number). You get a nice git diff and merge.

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## Post #4 by @ian.mcnicoll

By 'work' I really meant whether the git diff / merge were challenging with ADL. Although they are text docs, they are fairly complex.

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## Post #5 by @joostholslag

Ok. Only issue I’ve had is with different filenames (due to full version number in the filename and git thinking it’s a different artefact). Never had issues with merging because of adl complexity. Done it a dozen times I think. @MattijsK what’s your experience?

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## Post #6 by @MattijsK

Git diff works fine on ADL in our experience. It's not more complicated than many programming languages I guess. But indeed, using full versions in the filenames makes it harder sometimes, but then we often just manually diff it in a text editor and that works fine as well.

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**Canonical:** https://discourse.openehr.org/t/using-git-merge-on-adl-json-files/4717
**Original content:** https://discourse.openehr.org/t/using-git-merge-on-adl-json-files/4717