At ICSE 2026, we presented our NIER paper . The paper explores a new perspective on merge conflicts: instead of resolving them immediately, we propose to treat them as explicit variability that can be analyzed, managed, and resolved more systematically. By turning conflicts into first-class variability, developers can postpone resolution, compare alternatives, and make more informed integration decisions.
Interested in learning more about Conflict-Induced Variability? Feel free to reach out to the authors and stay tuned for upcoming results of our ongoing research project !