Commons:History merging and splitting

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Visualization of the merging process.

Shortcuts: COM:HMS • COM:HISTMERGE This page provides information on issues and solutions relating pages and files that underwent cut-and-paste moves (which its history has to be put back together), and inappropriate merging/overwriting (of which its history needs to be split).

History merging

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Shortcut

Because most users have the ability to use the move page function, cut-and-paste moves are usually done by people who are not aware of that function, or when the move function fails (e.g. because the target has history), and people who aren't aware of the Administrators Noticeboard forum to ask for help from an administrator.

When a cut-and-paste move is done, the page history of a page can be split among two or more different pages. This is very undesirable, because we need to keep the history with the content for copyright reasons. In most circumstances, administrators are able to fix this by merging page histories.

Instructions for admins
  1. Temporarily delete NewPage
  2. Move OldPage to NewPage, using the move functionality. (In case it is a file, you have to open the Move & Replace link in a new tab or disable AjaxQuickDelete in your preferences.) (Now the old history versions are the whole of the new title’s.)
  3. Undelete the NewPage page, by:
    1. Viewing the page/file history
    2. Clicking “View or restore … deleted edits?”, and
    3. Clicking on “Restore!”. (Now the new title’s history has both the old and new versions, including an extra copy of the most recent version of OldPage, created by the move tool.)
  4. At this stage, NewPage will only show the text “#REDIRECT NewPage” (assuming a redirect was the most recent version of OldPage, the NewPage page will now be showing whatever the most recent version of OldPage was). The last step is to revert (or RevisionDelete) to the last version of NewPage from before the move.

Special:MergeHistory makes it possible to automatically merge the history of two pages.


History splitting

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Over time, pages or files may change from one underlying topic to a completely separate topic. Normally, this should be accomplished through moves of pages, or by reuploading an altered file on a slightly different title. However, if a user is unfamiliar with those processes they may simply change the subject of a page or file (overwriting the old). If this is not caught immediately it is very easy for the new topic to build up a substantial edit history of its own.

Instructions for admins
  1. Temporarily delete the page/file (original title)
  2. Restore previous revisions up to (but not including) the point where the topic was changed.
  3. Move (without redirect) the restored versions (old topic) to the desired new title. (In case it is a file, you have to open the Move & Replace link in a new tab or disable AjaxQuickDelete in your preferences.)
    • If there’s already a file or page under the new title and you wish to histmerge into it:
    a) select the “delete the existing article” option, while moving;
    b) restore deleted revisions of new title.
  4. Restore new revisions of new topic (still at original title).

A history merge could also be undone in this way.

Requesting a merge or split

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To request a merge or split, fill the following template, and submit it at the bottom of this page. Remember, both files need to be of the same type. Merging of more than two files may also be possible in some cases.


== [[:FILE/PAGE 1]] → [[:FILE/PAGE 2]] ==
* Request: [Split or Merge]
* Reason:
--~~~~
  • For merges, replace FILE/PAGE 2 with the page you want FILE/PAGE 1 contents to be merged into.
  • For splits, replace FILE/PAGE 2 with the new filename which you want the newer content to be moved from FILE/PAGE 1.
 

Current requests

View Edit Add topic

 See also categories: Media requiring a split up and Requested merges.
  • Request: Merge
  • Reason: There is only one statue of McGill University founder James McGill and it is the one by sculptor David Roper-Curzon, as verified by https://artpublicmontreal.ca/en/oeuvre/james-mcgill/ . It may have been relocated within the campus (?) but I don't see the point in having two categories.

--Shawn à Montréal (talk) 15:03, 19 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]

✓ Done --Sreejith K (talk) 04:11, 21 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Checkmark This section is resolved and can be archived. If you disagree, replace this template with your comment. --Sreejith K (talk) 04:11, 21 October 2024 (UTC)
  • Request: Merge
  • Reason:Both files show the same flag, but the second one is more accurate

--Swiãtopôłk (talk) 19:28, 23 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]

✓ Done --Sreejith K (talk) 19:57, 23 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Checkmark This section is resolved and can be archived. If you disagree, replace this template with your comment. --Sreejith K (talk) 19:57, 23 October 2024 (UTC)
  • Request: Merge
  • Reason:Both files show the same flag, but the second one is more accurate

--Swiãtopôłk (talk) 19:28, 23 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]

✓ Done --Sreejith K (talk) 19:57, 23 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Checkmark This section is resolved and can be archived. If you disagree, replace this template with your comment. --Sreejith K (talk) 19:57, 23 October 2024 (UTC)
  • Request: Merge
  • Reason: According to en:Launch (boat) and its interlanguage/Wikidata links, it's the same thing. Category:Launch (boat) is an orphaned Commons category with no link to any Wikipedia projects.

--Shawn à Montréal (talk) 16:44, 26 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]

  • Request: Split and Merge
  • Reason: The subst version of the {{lang links}} template was incorrectly made into a redirect to {{localized link}} without preserving page history by first moving it back to {{lang links subst}} in revision 250256004.

— ExE Boss (talk) 18:30, 28 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]

  • Request: [Merge]
  • Reason: Both files represent the same flag, but the second file is historically more accurate.

--Swiãtopôłk (talk) 09:50, 29 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]

 Not done - Completely different files. Its good to have two seperate versions, in fact both versions are heavily used. You can add {{Superseded}} template on one of them to discourage its use if required. --Sreejith K (talk) 11:56, 29 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]
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 Not done - This was recently merged as per a request here. Commons:History_merging_and_splitting/Requests/Archive_6#Category:Cedar_Fair_→_Category:Six_Flags. We cannot keep on splitting and merging this. So please provide a reason. --Sreejith K (talk) 05:17, 30 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Checkmark This section is resolved and can be archived. If you disagree, replace this template with your comment. --Sreejith K (talk) 05:17, 30 October 2024 (UTC)
  • Request: Merge
  • Request: Split
  • Request: Merge
  • Request: Merge
 Not done Duplicate of the request above. --Sreejith K (talk) 15:05, 30 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Checkmark This section is resolved and can be archived. If you disagree, replace this template with your comment. --Sreejith K (talk) 15:05, 30 October 2024 (UTC)
Please elaborate. --Sreejith K (talk) 18:47, 30 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]
 Not done Single file, can't split. --Sreejith K (talk) 18:33, 30 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]
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✓ Done - See File:KGOTVABC7 (2).png and File:KGOTVABC7 (3).png --Sreejith K (talk) 18:42, 30 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Checkmark This section is resolved and can be archived. If you disagree, replace this template with your comment. --Sreejith K (talk) 18:42, 30 October 2024 (UTC)
  • Request: Split
✓ Done --Sreejith K (talk) 18:45, 30 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Checkmark This section is resolved and can be archived. If you disagree, replace this template with your comment. --Sreejith K (talk) 18:45, 30 October 2024 (UTC)
  • Request: Split
✓ Done - The overwritten file moved to File:CBS logo (2).svg--Sreejith K (talk) 04:49, 1 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Checkmark This section is resolved and can be archived. If you disagree, replace this template with your comment. --Sreejith K (talk) 04:49, 1 November 2024 (UTC)
✓ Done - Overwritten file moved to File:CBS Media Ventures (2).svg --Sreejith K (talk) 04:58, 1 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Checkmark This section is resolved and can be archived. If you disagree, replace this template with your comment. --Sreejith K (talk) 04:58, 1 November 2024 (UTC)
  • Request: Split
✓ Done - Overwritten file available as File:CBS Interactive Logo (2).svg --Sreejith K (talk) 05:01, 1 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]
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✓ Done --Sreejith K (talk) 05:06, 1 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Checkmark This section is resolved and can be archived. If you disagree, replace this template with your comment. --Sreejith K (talk) 05:06, 1 November 2024 (UTC)
  • Request: Split
✓ Done --Sreejith K (talk) 05:08, 1 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Checkmark This section is resolved and can be archived. If you disagree, replace this template with your comment. --Sreejith K (talk) 05:08, 1 November 2024 (UTC)
 Not done - Not the same file. Different colors. --Sreejith K (talk) 05:10, 1 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]
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  • Request: Merge
  • Reason: Clearly image

--Baqotun0023 (talk) 02:36, 1 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

 Not done - Cannot merge because the file types are different. You can tag one as {{Duplicate}} of the other. --Sreejith K (talk) 05:11, 1 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Checkmark This section is resolved and can be archived. If you disagree, replace this template with your comment. --Sreejith K (talk) 05:11, 1 November 2024 (UTC)
  • Request: Split
  • Request: Merge

✓ Done Oldest version available as File:卡雷爾·喬特克的領主服飾 (2).jpg --Sreejith K (talk) 22:33, 1 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Checkmark This section is resolved and can be archived. If you disagree, replace this template with your comment. --Sreejith K (talk) 22:33, 1 November 2024 (UTC)

--Luan (talk) 17:35, 1 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

✓ Done --Sreejith K (talk) 22:35, 1 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Checkmark This section is resolved and can be archived. If you disagree, replace this template with your comment. --Sreejith K (talk) 22:35, 1 November 2024 (UTC)
  • Request: [Merge]
  • Reason: They are the same flag with no differences between them so they should be merged into one.

--The C of E (talk) 07:58, 3 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

✓ Done --Sreejith K (talk) 15:39, 3 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Checkmark This section is resolved and can be archived. If you disagree, replace this template with your comment. --Sreejith K (talk) 15:39, 3 November 2024 (UTC)

Split three images

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File:Sidewalk Highway.jpg has twice been overwritten. All three images depict the same subject (a road), but in different locations, and the photographers are different. Nyttend (talk) 18:59, 3 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

See also

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