`svn merge` produces different results than `svn diff` -

so used think halfway decent svn, particular problem thwarting me...

i've got topic branch i've added files , made 1 minor modification. merged changes trunk occurred time topic branch cut until head via:

svn merge ^/trunk@revn ^/trunk@head branch working copy.

i commit changes branch , different between branch , trunk looks kind of this:

> svn diff ^/trunk ^/branches/kulrice-5050 --summarize d       https://test.kuali.org/svn/rice/trunk/impl/src/main/groovy/org/kuali/rice/kim/impl/attribute/kimattributedatabo.groovy m       https://test.kuali.org/svn/rice/trunk/kim/kim-impl/src/test/groovy/org/kuali/rice/kim/impl/role/rolepermissionbotest.groovy       https://test.kuali.org/svn/rice/trunk/kim/kim-impl/src/test/groovy/org/kuali/rice/kim/impl/role/roleresponsibilityactionbotest.groovy       https://test.kuali.org/svn/rice/trunk/kim/kim-impl/src/test/groovy/org/kuali/rice/kim/impl/role/rolebotest.groovy ... 

in other words, nothing didn't expect. these files have changed in branch.

i try merge branch down in trunk via:

svn merge ^/trunk ^/branches/kulrice-5050 trunk working copy. instead of having files modified diff --summarize showed end seeing following:

> svn merge ^/trunk ^/branches/kulrice-5050 --- merging differences between repository urls '.': d    impl/src/main/groovy/org/kuali/rice/kim/impl/attribute/kimattributedatabo.groovy u    kim/kim-impl/src/test/groovy/org/kuali/rice/kim/impl/role/rolepermissionbotest.groovy skipped 'kim/kim-impl/src/test/groovy/org/kuali/rice/kim/impl/role/roleresponsibilityactionbotest.groovy' skipped 'kim/kim-impl/src/test/groovy/org/kuali/rice/kim/impl/role/rolebotest.groovy' skipped 'kim/kim-impl/src/test/groovy/org/kuali/rice/kim/impl/role/roleresponsibilitybotest.groovy' skipped 'kim/kim-impl/src/test/groovy/org/kuali/rice/kim/impl/role/rolememberbotest.groovy'    kim/kim-impl/src/main/java/org/kuali/rice/kim/impl/role ... ... skipped 'kim/kim-api/src/main/java/org/kuali/rice/kim/api/role/roleresponsibilityactioncontract.java' summary of conflicts:   skipped paths: 38 --- merging r20279 through r20321 '.': ... ... summary of conflicts:   tree conflicts: 171   skipped paths: 33 --- reverse-merging r20321 through r20279 '.': ... 

the ... above indicate places i've left out details. it's bunch of updates , conflicts of files should near changeset.

why on earth merge in case trying apply merge , reverse merge across different revision ranges when i've specified 'give me diff between trunk , branch , merge trunk wc'? shouldn't doing revision ranges. have ideas why happening , need modify in svn commands correct it?

my svn client svn, version 1.6.15 (r1038135) , svn server 1.4.5 (r25188). server version out of control, hence older style of merging instead of using svn merge tracking.

perhaps "rubber ducking" @ work, answer here need specify --ignore-ancestry merge command. otherwise, 1.6 svn client attempts, implicitly, merge merge tracking on behalf though server still 1.4 , doesn't support merge tracking.