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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

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Current requests

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

Category:Weekend Today logos → Category:Today (U.S. TV program) logos

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  • Request: [Split]
  • Reason: please split

— Preceding unsigned comment added by NinaFan84748357 (talk • contribs)

Category:NBC Nightly News logos → Category:NBC Nightly News Weekend Edition logos

[edit]
  • Request: [Split]
  • Reason: please split

— Preceding unsigned comment added by NinaFan84748357 (talk • contribs)

Category:NBC Nightly News → Category: NBC Nightly News Weekend Edition

[edit]
  • Request: [Split]
  • Reason: please split

— Preceding unsigned comment added by NinaFan84748357 (talk • contribs)

Category:CBS Evening News → Category:CBS Weekend News

[edit]
  • Request: [Split]
  • Reason: please split

— Preceding unsigned comment added by NinaFan84748357 (talk • contribs)

Category:CBS Evening News logos → Category:CBS Weekend News logos

[edit]
  • Request: [Split]
  • Reason: please split

— Preceding unsigned comment added by NinaFan84748357 (talk • contribs)

Category:Washington Week → Category:Washington Week with The Atlantic

[edit]
  • Request: [merge]
  • Reason: please merge

— Preceding unsigned comment added by NinaFan84748357 (talk • contribs)

Category:ABC World News Tonight → Category:ABC World News Tonight Weekend

[edit]
  • Request: [Split]
  • Reason: please split

— Preceding unsigned comment added by NinaFan84748357 (talk • contribs)

Pope Francis Funeral images

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  • Request: [Merge]
  • Reason: Four files listed below where the image code is separated by a hyphen were uploaded by myself as they were being posted to Flickr, prior to the remainder of the image collection being uploaded. As a result, there are now duplicates of the same files (except that the image code is contained within brackets).

This request concerns the following files, of which the newer copies on the left should preferably be merged into the older ones listed on the right.

--Mr. Lechkar (talk) 15:32, 26 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

This will be done automatically by a bot. No need to open this topic. RodRabelo7 (talk) 15:37, 26 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
✓ Done --Sreejith K (talk) 06:40, 27 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Checkmark This section is resolved and can be archived. If you disagree, replace this template with your comment. --Sreejith K (talk) 06:40, 27 April 2025 (UTC)

Category:CNN This Morning with Kasie Hunt

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  • Request: [Split]
  • Reason: please split

— Preceding unsigned comment added by NinaFan84748357 (talk • contribs)

Category:SVG logos of local American Broadcasting Company stations → Category:SVG logos of American Broadcasting Company affiliates

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  • Request: [Merge]
  • Reason: please merge

— Preceding unsigned comment added by NinaFan84748357 (talk • contribs)

File:Byzantine imperial flag, 14th century.svg → File:Byzantine imperial flag, 14th century (firesteels vesion).svg

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  • Request: Split
  • Reason: to end the frequent edit-wars that came due to the revision by the author of the image.

The following versions should be split to File:Byzantine imperial flag, 14th century (firesteels vesion).svg:

  • versions from 16:09, 7 August 2010 to 16:55, 17 April 2020
  • 11:08, 9 January 2021
  • 07:01, 6 December 2021
  • 09:02, 13 March 2022
  • 03:43, 20 May 2022
  • 19:37, 20 May 2022
  • 10:10, 1 June 2022
  • 12:33, 1 August 2022
  • 20:17, 5 December 2022
  • 03:58, 28 December 2022
  • 01:51, 30 November 2023
  • 00:01, 1 December 2023
  • 16:25, 10 January 2024
  • 05:51, 5 March 2024
  • 08:32, 2 February 2025
  • 14:22, 4 February 2025
  • 04:20, 9 February 2025
  • 06:37, 19 April 2025
  • 09:57, 27 April 2025

--Veverve (talk) 20:07, 27 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

✓ Done --Sreejith K (talk) 04:11, 28 April 2025 (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, 28 April 2025 (UTC)

File:Kołobrzeg logo.svg → File:Kołobrzeg logo (vertical).svg

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✓ Done --Sreejith K (talk) 14:12, 29 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Checkmark This section is resolved and can be archived. If you disagree, replace this template with your comment. --Sreejith K (talk) 14:12, 29 April 2025 (UTC)

Category:Kermis in Leiden → Category:Funfairs in Leiden

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  • Request: [Merge]
  • Reason: 'Kermis' means 'Funfair' in Dutch, so these categories have the same name.

--Sneeuwvlakte (talk) 14:30, 29 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

✓ Done - Use {{Category redirect}} to mark a category as duplicate. --Sreejith K (talk) 20:10, 29 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Checkmark This section is resolved and can be archived. If you disagree, replace this template with your comment. --Sreejith K (talk) 20:10, 29 April 2025 (UTC)

File:Calle de Alzira.jpg → File:Carrer Verge del Lluch (Alzira).jpg

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  • Request: Split
  • Reason: File was overwritten with different image

--WikiEditor50 (talk) 15:05, 30 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

✓ Done --Sreejith K (talk) 05:27, 1 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Checkmark This section is resolved and can be archived. If you disagree, replace this template with your comment. --Sreejith K (talk) 05:27, 1 May 2025 (UTC)

File:AMAZON.svg →File:Amazon logo.svg

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--Yayan550 (talk) 21:27, 3 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

✓ Done --Sreejith K (talk) 03:07, 4 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Checkmark This section is resolved and can be archived. If you disagree, replace this template with your comment. --Sreejith K (talk) 03:07, 4 May 2025 (UTC)

File:National Public Radio logo.svg

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  • Request: [Split]
  • Reason: please split

— Preceding unsigned comment was added by 2601:8c:4182:9ab0:2915:c69b:1ddd:c816 (talk)

✓ Done See File:National Public Radio logo (2).svg --Sreejith K (talk) 04:06, 8 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Checkmark This section is resolved and can be archived. If you disagree, replace this template with your comment. --Sreejith K (talk) 04:06, 8 May 2025 (UTC)

File:QinShiHuang19century.jpg → File:Portrait of Qin Shi Huang.jpg

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  • Request: Split
  • Reason: Different scan.

--0x0a (talk) 10:00, 8 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

✓ Done --Sreejith K (talk) 15:03, 8 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Checkmark This section is resolved and can be archived. If you disagree, replace this template with your comment. --Sreejith K (talk) 15:03, 8 May 2025 (UTC)

See also

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