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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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.
 

Add a new request

Shortcut

Current requests

View Edit Add topic

 See also categories: Media requiring a split up and Requested merges.

File:Naval Ensign of Albania (1946-1954).svg → File:Flamuri i Marinës Luftarake Detare (1946).svg

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  • Request: Merge
  • Reason:They are representations of the same flag, but the file with the English name is not accurate in details, but it is older and widely used. The Albanian one is correct and has the correct description, licenses and categories. I don't know if it is possible, but I would like to make the Albanian file the latest version of the English file.

--Swiãtopôłk (talk) 12:16, 18 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

✓ Done --Sreejith K (talk) 23:37, 18 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
@Sreejithk2000 Thank you, do you know if there is a way to see the file description page before connecting? I would like to change the category and license to the ones Kj1595 used. Swiãtopôłk (talk) 14:32, 19 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Does Special:Diff/685422313 help? --Sreejith K (talk) 16:39, 19 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Checkmark This section is resolved and can be archived. If you disagree, replace this template with your comment. --Sreejith K (talk) 23:37, 18 August 2024 (UTC)

File:Wellendorff-Boutique KaDeWe Berlin.jpg → File:Wellendorff-Boutique KaDeWe Berlin, 2016.jpg

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  • Request: Split
  • Reason:

--Yann (talk) 19:43, 19 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

✓ Done - The new version is available as File:Wellendorff-Boutique_KaDeWe_Berlin (2020).jpg --Sreejith K (talk) 23:42, 19 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Checkmark This section is resolved and can be archived. If you disagree, replace this template with your comment. --Sreejith K (talk) 23:42, 19 August 2024 (UTC)

File:Emblem of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.svg → File:Emblem of North Korea.svg

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--Colohisto (talk) 03:56, 21 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

✓ Done --Sreejith K (talk) 06:15, 22 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Checkmark This section is resolved and can be archived. If you disagree, replace this template with your comment. --Sreejith K (talk) 06:15, 22 August 2024 (UTC)

File:Salomé (1922).webm → File:Salome (1923).webm

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Request: Merge Reason: Same film. 37.248.177.100 00:29, 23 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

 Not done Different length, different sources. Yann (talk) 06:43, 23 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Checkmark This section is resolved and can be archived. If you disagree, replace this template with your comment. --Sreejith K (talk) 05:38, 24 August 2024 (UTC)

Category:Buildings in Fog → Category:Buildings in fog

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  • Request: Merge
  • Reason: Duplicate.

--Shawn à Montréal (talk) 18:53, 23 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

✓ Done --Sreejith K (talk) 05:38, 24 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Checkmark This section is resolved and can be archived. If you disagree, replace this template with your comment. --Sreejith K (talk) 05:38, 24 August 2024 (UTC)

Category:Cuzco by year → Category:Cusco by year

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  • Request: Merge
  • Reason: It's the same city, just different spellings

--JustEMV (talk) 22:20, 25 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

✓ Done --Sreejith K (talk) 18:15, 26 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Checkmark This section is resolved and can be archived. If you disagree, replace this template with your comment. --Sreejith K (talk) 18:15, 26 August 2024 (UTC)

Category:Cuzco by decade → Category:Cusco by decade

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  • Request: Merge
  • Reason: Duplicate, just different spellings of same city.

--JustEMV (talk) 22:22, 25 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

✓ Done --Sreejith K (talk) 18:16, 26 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Checkmark This section is resolved and can be archived. If you disagree, replace this template with your comment. --Sreejith K (talk) 18:16, 26 August 2024 (UTC)

File:THSR 700T to Bagua Plateau 20080207 (2).jpg

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  • Request: Split
  • Reason: Somebody made a crop and overwrote the original file. I clicked the thumbnail and saw that the image at the left and bottom were cropped. Compare the differences between the cropped version and original version, the former seems to be 25% (maybe 20%) less than the latter. Not only that, the brightness of the former has noticeably brighter, especially the color of the rail viaduct (concrete part) becomes whiter. However, the reason in the edit summary says "minor cropping, no need to split." I personally think whether this is "minor cropping" needs further discussion.--125.230.85.122 19:57, 26 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
✓ Done The overwritten file is available as File:THSR 700T to Bagua Plateau 20080207 (cropped) (2).jpg --Sreejith K (talk) 14:33, 27 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Checkmark This section is resolved and can be archived. If you disagree, replace this template with your comment. --Sreejith K (talk) 14:33, 27 August 2024 (UTC)

File:The Three Musketeers (film 1921).webm → File:The Three Musketeers (1921).webm

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  • Request: Merge
  • Reason: Practically is the same movie, sans three seconds. One of file - File:The Three Musketeers (film 1921).webm has higher resolution. And instead of deleting one of the files, it's easier to combine them.. Keep merged file as "The Three Musketeers (1921).webm".

OGPawlis (talk) 23:27, 26 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

File:Greed (1924) Reconstruction.webm → File:GREED 1924.webm

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  • Request: Merge
  • Reason: I found the higher resolution of the same file (also uploaded by me). Ill be glad to merge both file. Name the merged file as "Greed (1924) Reconstruction.webm"

OGPawlis (talk) 17:23, 27 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

File:Війна гаргантюа.jpg

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Request: Split Reason: One of version of file (dated 21:00, 20 July 2021) is complete different photo. Can someone split as different file? OGPawlis (talk) 11:38, 29 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

✓ Done - New file is available as File:Війна_гаргантюа (2).jpg --Sreejith K (talk) 22:31, 29 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Checkmark This section is resolved and can be archived. If you disagree, replace this template with your comment. --Sreejith K (talk) 22:31, 29 August 2024 (UTC)

File:海不揚波圖（廈門）.jpg

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File:化石石灰岩.jpg

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File:銅漆金佛陀立像.jpg

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File:《致阿提庫斯函》.jpg

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File:勸業銀行臺北支店中央空調冰水主機.jpg

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Cooch Behar Palace in the afternoon

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Cooch Behar Palace in the afternoon 5 1 → Cooch Behar Palace in the afternoon 1

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  • Request: [Split]
  • Reason:

--Kingshuk Mondal (talk) 15:27, 2 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]

File:Peace Congress flag.svg → File:Peace Congress flag (colour corrected).svg

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See also

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