Question Handling merge conflicts m_Entries in string tables

My team uses one string table per ScriptableObject type (e.g. a Weapons string table, a Spells string table, etc.), and all of the strings are marked as "Smart". Whenever two of us add new entries to this table (which is pretty common), the second person to merge gets a merge conflict in the m_Entries field at the bottom of each string table file. Since the value of this field is just a huge number, it's impossible for us to resolve the merge conflict.

How do people deal with this merge conflict? Is it safe to just pick the m_Entries value from one branch when merging? If so, could someone explain why doing this doesn't break the smart strings? And if not, could someone suggest a strategy for dealing with this issue?

 

Sure! I created two branches off master (branch-a and branch-b), each of which adds a smart string entry to the end of the Powers string table. I merged branch-a into master first, then tried to merge branch-b and got this merge conflict from Powers_en.asset:

Code (csharp):

1. <<<<<<< HEAD
2.   - m_Id: 12739685791666176
3.     m_Localized: Description for Branch A Power.
4.     m_Metadata:
5.       m_Items:
6.       - id: 0
7. ||||||| b9f51dbb0
8. =======
9.   - m_Id: 12739269687349248
10.     m_Localized: Description for Branch B Power.
11.     m_Metadata:
12.       m_Items:
13.       - id: 0
14. >>>>>>> branch-b
15.   references:
16.     version: 1
17.     00000000:
18.       type: {class: SmartFormatTag, ns: UnityEngine.Localization.Metadata, asm: Unity.Localization}
19.       data:
20. <<<<<<< HEAD
21.         m_Entries: 029069f78a320000059069f58a320000119069f58a3200000590a9f58a3200000890a9f58a3200000e90a9f58a320000019029f58a320000029069f58a320000089069f58a3200000b9069f58a3200000e9069f58a320000149069f58a320000179069f58a3200001a9069f58a3200001d9069f58a3200000290a9f58a3200000b90a9f58a3200001190a9f58a3200001490a9f58a3200001790a9f58a3200001a90a9f58a3200001d90a9f58a3200002090a9f58a3200002390a9f58a3200002690a9f58a3200002990a9f58a3200002c90a9f58a3200002f90a9f58a3200003290a9f58a3200000290e9f58a3200000590e9f58a3200000890e9f58a3200000b90e9f58a3200000e90e9f58a3200001190e9f58a3200001490e9f58a3200001790e9f58a3200001a90e9f58a3200001d90e9f58a3200002090e9f58a3200002390e9f58a3200002690e9f58a3200002990e9f58a3200002c90e9f58a3200002f90e9f58a3200003290e9f58a320000029029f68a320000059029f68a320000089029f68a3200000b9029f68a3200000e9029f68a320000119029f68a320000149029f68a320000179029f68a3200001a9029f68a3200001d9029f68a320000209029f68a320000239029f68a320000269029f68a320000299029f68a3200002c9029f68a3200002f9029f68a320000029069f68a320000059069f68a320000089069f68a3200000b9069f68a320000119069f68a3200000e9069f68a320000149069f68a320000179069f68a3200001a9069f68a3200001d9069f68a320000209069f68a320000239069f68a320000269069f68a320000299069f68a3200002c9069f68a3200002f9069f68a320000329069f68a3200000290a9f68a3200000590a9f68a3200000890a9f68a3200000b90a9f68a3200000e90a9f68a3200001190a9f68a3200001490a9f68a3200001790a9f68a3200001a90a9f68a3200001d90a9f68a3200002090a9f68a3200002390a9f68a3200002690a9f68a3200002990a9f68a3200002c90a9f68a3200002f90a9f68a3200003290a9f68a3200000290e9f68a3200000590e9f68a3200000890e9f68a3200000b90e9f68a3200000e90e9f68a3200001190e9f68a3200001490e9f68a3200001790e9f68a3200001a90e9f68a3200001d90e9f68a3200002090e9f68a3200002390e9f68a3200002690e9f68a3200002990e9f68a3200002c90e9f68a3200002f90e9f68a3200003290e9f68a320000029029f78a320000059029f78a320000089029f78a3200000b9029f78a3200000e9029f78a320000119029f78a320000149029f78a320000179029f78a3200001a9029f78a3200001d9029f78a320000209029f78a320000239029f78a320000269029f78a320000299029f78a3200002c9029f78a3200002f9029f78a320000329029f78a320000059069f78a320000089069f78a3200000b9069f78a3200000e9069f78a320000119069f78a320000149069f78a320000179069f78a3200001a9069f78a3200001d9069f78a320000209069f78a320000239069f78a320000269069f78a320000299069f78a3200002c9069f78a3200002f9069f78a3200000290a9f78a3200000590a9f78a3200000890a9f78a3200000b90a9f78a3200000e90a9f78a3200001190a9f78a3200001490a9f78a3200001790a9f78a3200001a90a9f78a3200002090a9f78a3200001d90a9f78a3200000090e96c832e0900001059828876090000205253acfe260000209288611427000020929caca32a000010d90c52d42a000020d253be2b2c000020521007382c00002052a8a33c2c000090293ead422d00
22. ||||||| b9f51dbb0
23.         m_Entries: 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
24. =======
25.         m_Entries: 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
26. >>>>>>> branch-b

The first part is easy to resolve (we can just pick both), but the second part with m_Entries is basically impossible.

 

Ahh ok, good to know it's in binary! It'd be great for that to change, thanks for asking.

Can you explain what you mean by "With the smart string tag it's actually safe to pick any version as long as it's referenced by the entries."? This m_Entries field is at the very bottom of our string table .asset file, and it changes any time add/remove a smart string in the table, so I'm not sure what you mean by "referenced by the entries".

 

Ahh ok, understood now! Thanks a bunch for the explanation, we'll stop worrying about the changes to that field.

 

Hi, sorry to necro an old thread but I have questions because we are also repeatedly running into merge conflicts on the `m_Entries` field and it's taking up time for our devs to resolve.

@karl_jones are you saying that we don't need to do anything to resolve conflicts on `m_Entries` here? We can randomly keep `ours` or `theirs` or just nuke it entirely and there won't be any impact?

Assuming this is true, why is this data serialized to disk at all? It would save our devs a lot of merge conflict pain if this was stored only in memory e.g. at Unity editor startup, or in a separate scratch file we could .gitignore.

Thanks.

 

Chiming in with the same question and request as @Benzor which you didn't address specifically @karl_jones, namely, shouldn't this field be removed from serialized data and be cached in memory instead?

 

Thanks for the clarifications!

In that case, was there a reason why the field was kept as binary last time you discussed it with the team in 2022? Making this field YAML-based would allow the merge tool to merge it without flagging manual conflicts.