* ediff.texi: Describe the new format for

	ediff-combination-pattern.

2 files changed, 35 insertions, 10 deletions

diff --git a/man/ChangeLog b/man/ChangeLog
index 16316c879f4..09c2b4aa02e 100644
--- a/man/ChangeLog
+++ b/man/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+1999-11-24  Michael Kifer <kifer@cs.sunysb.edu>
+	
+	* ediff.texi: Describe the new format for
+	ediff-combination-pattern.
+	
 1999-11-20  Paul Eggert  <eggert@twinsun.com>
 
 	* mule.texi: Describe the relationship between
diff --git a/man/ediff.texi b/man/ediff.texi
index f9b314c37ab..25c84d90b9d 100644
--- a/man/ediff.texi
+++ b/man/ediff.texi
@@ -1812,19 +1812,39 @@ If it is @code{combined} then the region in buffer C will look like
 this:
 
 @example
-#ifdef NEW  /* variant A */
-difference region from buffer A
-#else  /* variant B */
-difference region from buffer B
-#endif  /* NEW */
+<<<<<<< variant A
+the difference region from buffer A
+>>>>>>> variant B
+the difference region from buffer B
+####### Ancestor
+the difference region from the ancestor buffer, if available
+======= end
 @end example
 
+The above is the default template for the combined region. The user can
+customize this template using the variable
+@code{ediff-combination-pattern}.
+
 @vindex ediff-combination-pattern
-The actual strings that separate the regions copied from buffer A and B
-are controlled by the variable @code{ediff-combination-pattern}.  Its
-value should be a list of three strings.  The first is inserted before
-the difference region of buffer A; the second string goes between the
-regions; the third goes after region B, as shown in the above example.
+The variable @code{ediff-combination-pattern} specifies the template that
+determines how the combined merged region looks like.  The template is
+represented as a list of the form @code{(STRING1 Symbol1 STRING2 Symbol2
+STRING3 Symbol3 STRING4)}. The symbols here must be atoms of the form
+@code{A}, @code{B}, or @code{Ancestor}. They determine the order in which
+the corresponding difference regions (from buffers A, B, and the ancestor
+buffer) are displayed in the merged region of buffer C.  The strings in the
+template determine the text that separates the aforesaid regions. The
+default template is
+
+@example
+("<<<<<<< variant A" A ">>>>>>> variant B" B  "####### Ancestor" Ancestor "======= end")
+@end example
+
+and the corresponding combined region is shown above. The order in which 
+the regions are shown (and the separator strings) can be changed by
+changing the above template. It is even possible to add or delete region
+specifiers in this template (although the only possibly useful such
+modification seems to be the deletion of the ancestor).
 
 In addition to the state of the difference, Ediff displays the state of the
 merge for each region.  If a difference came from buffer A by default