Commit message: Incorrect population after merge with conflicts

Problem

When merging branches with conflicts using PhpStorm, the commit message is not being properly populated with the content of .git/MERGE_MESSAGE. Instead, it shows either the previous commit message or an empty message, depending on the Settings > Version Control > Commit > Clear initial commit message setting.

Cause

This issue appears to be project-specific and related to the .idea configuration folder of the affected project. Invalid cache, corrupted configuration files, or a particular setting might be causing the incorrect behavior.

Resolution

1. Verify Behavior on a New Project

   • Create a new test project in PhpStorm.
   • Make a few commits on separate branches.
   • Merge the branches and resolve conflicts.
   • Check if the commit message is correctly populated.
   • Confirm whether the issue persists only in the initial project.

2. Clear IDE Caches

   • Navigate to File > Invalidate Caches....
   • Enable options for Clear file system cache and Local History and Clear VCS Log caches and Indexes.
   • Click Invalidate and Restart.

3. Recreate Project Configuration

   • Close PhpStorm.
   • Delete the .idea folder and all *.iml files in the project's root directory. Backup these files if required.
   • Re-import the project as explained in Importing a project from existing sources.

Following these steps should help narrow down and resolve the issue with commit message population after a merge with conflicts.