There's a good blog post about auto-merging JSON/XML structured data files (for game content) on the bitsquid blog from 2010: > having content conflicts is no

There's a good blog post about auto-merging JSON/XML structured data files (for game content) on the bitsquid blog from 2010: > having content conflicts is no fun either. A level designer wants to work in the level editor, not manage strange content conflicts in barely understandable XML-files. The level designer should never have to mess with WinMerging the engine's file formats. > And conflicts shouldn't be necessary. Most content conflicts are not actual conflicts. It is not that often that two people have moved the exact same object or changed the exact same settings parameter. Rather, the conflicts occur because a line-based merge tool tries to merge hierarchical data (XML or JSON) and messes up the structure. > In those rare cases when there is an actual conflict, the content people don't want to resolve it in WinMerge. If two level designers have moved the same object, we don't really help them address the issue by bringing up a dialog box with a ton of XML mumbo-jumbo. Instead, it is much better to just pick one of the two locations and go ahead with merging the file. Then, the level designers can fix any problems that might have occurred in the level editor -- the right tool for the job. -- http://bitsquid.blogspot.com/2010/06/avoiding-content-locks-and-conflicts-3.html http://bitsquid.blogspot.com/2010/06/avoiding-content-locks-...