diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 1c050d7..7bfa204 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -14,3 +14,5 @@ sampleOutput.kml
 /KML_Samples_output.kml
 
 *_out.kml
+
+work
diff --git a/src/it/scala/com/phasmidsoftware/kmldoc/KMLEditorFuncSpec.scala b/src/it/scala/com/phasmidsoftware/kmldoc/KMLEditorFuncSpec.scala
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8d25e92
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/it/scala/com/phasmidsoftware/kmldoc/KMLEditorFuncSpec.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+package com.phasmidsoftware.kmldoc
+
+import cats.effect.IO
+import cats.effect.unsafe.implicits.global
+import org.scalatest.flatspec.AnyFlatSpec
+import org.scalatest.matchers.should
+import scala.util._
+
+class KMLEditorFuncSpec extends AnyFlatSpec with should.Matchers {
+
+  behavior of "KMLEditor"
+
+  val placemark = "Placemark"
+  private val triedFilename: Success[String] = Success("src/main/resources/com/phasmidsoftware/kmldoc/placemarks.kml")
+
+  it should "processKMLs join" in {
+    val editor = KMLEditor(Seq(KmlEdit(KmlEdit.JOIN, 2, Element(placemark, "Salem & Lowell RR (#1)"), Some(Element(placemark, "Salem & Lowell RR (#2)"))), KmlEdit(KmlEdit.DELETE, 1, Element(placemark, "Salem & Lowell RR (#2)"), None)))
+    val ksi: IO[Seq[KML]] = for {
+      ks <- KMLCompanion.loadKML(triedFilename)
+      ks2 = editor.processKMLs(ks)
+    } yield ks2
+    val result = ksi.unsafeRunSync()
+    val feature: Feature = result.head.features.head
+    feature match {
+      case Document(fs) =>
+        val folder = fs.head
+        folder match {
+          case Folder(features) =>
+            features.size shouldBe 1
+            val p1 = features.head
+            p1 match {
+              case p@Placemark(g) =>
+                p.featureData.name.$.toString shouldBe "Salem & Lowell RR (#1)Salem & Lowell RR (#2)"
+                p.featureData.name.matches("Salem & Lowell RR (#1)Salem & Lowell RR (#2)") shouldBe true
+                val lineString = g.head
+                lineString match {
+                  case LineString(_, cs) =>
+                    cs.head.coordinates.size shouldBe 163
+                  // TODO check the ordering of the Coordinate values.
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+  }
+
+  it should "processKMLs joinX" in {
+    val editor = KMLEditor(Seq(KmlEdit(KmlEdit.JOINX, 2, Element(placemark, "Salem & Lowell RR (#1)"), Some(Element(placemark, "Salem & Lowell RR (#2)"))), KmlEdit(KmlEdit.DELETE, 1, Element(placemark, "Salem & Lowell RR (#2)"), None)))
+    val ksi: IO[Seq[KML]] = for {
+      ks <- KMLCompanion.loadKML(triedFilename)
+      ks2 = editor.processKMLs(ks)
+    } yield ks2
+    val result = ksi.unsafeRunSync()
+    val feature: Feature = result.head.features.head
+    feature match {
+      case Document(fs) =>
+        val folder = fs.head
+        folder match {
+          case Folder(features) =>
+            features.size shouldBe 1
+            val p1 = features.head
+            p1 match {
+              case p@Placemark(g) =>
+                p.featureData.name.matches("Salem & Lowell RR (#1)") shouldBe true
+                val lineString = g.head
+                lineString match {
+                  case LineString(_, cs) =>
+                    cs.head.coordinates.size shouldBe 163
+                  // TODO check the ordering of the Coordinate values.
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/main/scala/com/phasmidsoftware/core/XML.scala b/src/main/scala/com/phasmidsoftware/core/XML.scala
index da3921c..8033f61 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/com/phasmidsoftware/core/XML.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/com/phasmidsoftware/core/XML.scala
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ case class Text($: CharSequence) extends Mergeable[Text] {
    * @param t the object to be merged with this.
    * @return the merged value of T.
    */
-  def merge(t: Text): Option[Text] = ($, t.$) match {
+  def merge(t: Text, mergeName: Boolean = true): Option[Text] = ($, t.$) match {
     case (c1: CDATA, c2: CDATA) => c1 merge c2 map (Text(_))
     case _ => Some(Text($.toString + " " + t.$.toString))
   }
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ case class CDATA(content: String, pre: String, post: String) extends CharSequenc
    * @param t the object to be merged with this.
    * @return the merged value of T.
    */
-  def merge(t: CDATA): Option[CDATA] = Some(CDATA(content + separator(post, t.pre) + t.content, pre, t.post))
+  def merge(t: CDATA, mergeName: Boolean = true): Option[CDATA] = Some(CDATA(content + separator(post, t.pre) + t.content, pre, t.post))
 
   private def separator(a: String, b: String): String = (a + b).replaceAll("\n", "<br>")
 }
diff --git a/src/main/scala/com/phasmidsoftware/kmldoc/KML.scala b/src/main/scala/com/phasmidsoftware/kmldoc/KML.scala
index cdff36d..0bab074 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/com/phasmidsoftware/kmldoc/KML.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/com/phasmidsoftware/kmldoc/KML.scala
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import com.phasmidsoftware.core.FP.tryNotNull
 import com.phasmidsoftware.core._
 import com.phasmidsoftware.kmldoc.HasFeatures.editHasFeaturesToOption
 import com.phasmidsoftware.kmldoc.KMLCompanion.renderKMLToPrintStream
-import com.phasmidsoftware.kmldoc.KmlEdit.editFeatures
+import com.phasmidsoftware.kmldoc.KmlEdit.{JOIN, JOINX, editFeatures}
 import com.phasmidsoftware.kmldoc.KmlRenderers.sequenceRendererFormatted
 import com.phasmidsoftware.kmldoc.Mergeable.{mergeOptions, mergeOptionsBiased, mergeSequence, mergeStringsDelimited}
 import com.phasmidsoftware.render._
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ case class KmlData(__id: Option[String]) extends Mergeable[KmlData] {
    * @param k a KmlData object.
    * @return the merged value of KmlData.
    */
-  def merge(k: KmlData): Option[KmlData] = Some(KmlData(mergeStringsDelimited(__id, k.__id)("#")))
+  def merge(k: KmlData, mergeName: Boolean = true): Option[KmlData] = Some(KmlData(mergeStringsDelimited(__id, k.__id)("#")))
 }
 
 /**
@@ -125,10 +125,10 @@ case class FeatureData(name: Text, maybeDescription: Option[Text], maybeStyleUrl
    * @param f a FeatureData object.
    * @return the merged value of FeatureData.
    */
-  def merge(f: FeatureData): Option[FeatureData] = {
+  def merge(f: FeatureData, mergeName: Boolean = true): Option[FeatureData] = {
     // TODO warn if styles are not the same.
     for {
-      n <- name merge f.name
+      n <- if (mergeName) name merge f.name else Some(name)
       d = mergeOptions(maybeDescription, f.maybeDescription)((t1, t2) => t1 merge t2)
       z <- kmlData merge f.kmlData
     } yield FeatureData(n, d, maybeStyleUrl, maybeOpen, maybeVisibility, StyleSelectors, abstractView)(z) // TODO: not all fields are properly merged
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ trait Geometry extends KmlObject with Mergeable[Geometry] {
    * @param t the object to be merged with this.
    * @return the merged value of T.
    */
-  def merge(t: Geometry): Option[Geometry] = throw KmlException(s"merge not implemented for this class: ${t.getClass}")
+  def merge(t: Geometry, mergeName: Boolean = true): Option[Geometry] = throw KmlException(s"merge not implemented for this class: ${t.getClass}")
 }
 
 /**
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ object Geometry extends Extractors with Renderers {
  * @param kmlData source of properties.
  */
 case class GeometryData(maybeExtrude: Option[Extrude], maybeAltitudeMode: Option[AltitudeMode])(val kmlData: KmlData) extends Mergeable[GeometryData] {
-  def merge(g: GeometryData): Option[GeometryData] =
+  def merge(g: GeometryData, mergeName: Boolean = true): Option[GeometryData] =
     for {
       k <- kmlData merge g.kmlData
     } yield GeometryData(mergeOptionsBiased(maybeExtrude, g.maybeExtrude), mergeOptionsBiased(maybeAltitudeMode, g.maybeAltitudeMode))(k)
@@ -405,14 +405,14 @@ case class Placemark(Geometry: Seq[Geometry])(val featureData: FeatureData) exte
    * @param t the object to be merged with this.
    * @return the merged value of T.
    */
-  def merge(t: Placemark): Option[Placemark] = {
-    println(s"joinPlacemarks: $name,  ${t.name}")
+  def merge(t: Placemark, mergeName: Boolean = true): Option[Placemark] = {
+    logger.info(s"joinPlacemarks: $name, ${t.name} with mergeName=$mergeName")
     val gps: Seq[Geometry] = this.Geometry
     val gqs = t.Geometry
     val los: Seq[Option[Geometry]] = for (gp <- gps; gq <- gqs) yield gp.merge(gq)
     val z: Seq[Geometry] = los filter (_.isDefined) map (_.get)
     for {
-      xx <- this.featureData merge t.featureData
+      xx <- featureData.merge(t.featureData, mergeName)
     } yield Placemark(z)(xx)
   }
 
@@ -441,7 +441,7 @@ case class Placemark(Geometry: Seq[Geometry])(val featureData: FeatureData) exte
   private def editMatching1(e: KmlEdit) = (name, e) match {
     case (name, KmlEdit(KmlEdit.DELETE, _, Element(_, nameToMatch), None))
       if name.matches(nameToMatch) =>
-      System.err.println(s"delete: $nameToMatch") // TODO generate a log message
+      logger.info(s"delete: $nameToMatch")
       Some(None)
     case (_, KmlEdit(KmlEdit.DELETE, _, _, _)) =>
       Some(Some(this))
@@ -457,10 +457,10 @@ case class Placemark(Geometry: Seq[Geometry])(val featureData: FeatureData) exte
    * @return an optional optional Feature.
    */
   private def editMatchingPlacemark2(e: KmlEdit, fs: Seq[Feature]) =
-    (name, e) match {
-      case (name, KmlEdit(KmlEdit.JOIN, _, Element("Placemark", nameToMatch1), Some(Element("Placemark", nameToMatch2))))
+    e match {
+      case KmlEdit(command@(JOIN | JOINX), _, Element("Placemark", nameToMatch1), Some(Element("Placemark", nameToMatch2)))
         if name.matches(nameToMatch1) =>
-        Some(joinMatchedPlacemarks(fs, nameToMatch2))
+        Some(joinMatchedPlacemarks(fs, nameToMatch2, command == JOIN))
       case _ =>
         None
     }
@@ -472,17 +472,15 @@ case class Placemark(Geometry: Seq[Geometry])(val featureData: FeatureData) exte
    * @param nameToMatch the name of the feature to be joined, as defined by the edit.
    * @return an optional Feature which, if defined, is the new Placemark to be used instead of <code>p</code>.
    */
-  private def joinMatchedPlacemarks(fs: Seq[Feature], nameToMatch: String) = {
-    System.err.println(s"join: $name with $nameToMatch") // TODO generate a log message
-    val zz = for (f <- fs if f != this) yield joinMatchingPlacemarks(nameToMatch, f)
+  private def joinMatchedPlacemarks(fs: Seq[Feature], nameToMatch: String, mergeName: Boolean) = {
+    val zz = for (f <- fs if f != this) yield joinMatchingPlacemarks(nameToMatch, f, mergeName)
     for (z <- zz.find(_.isDefined); q <- z) yield q
   }
 
-  private def joinMatchingPlacemarks(name: String, feature: Feature) =
-    feature match {
-      case q: Placemark if q.name.matches(name) => this merge q
-      case _ => None
-    }
+  private def joinMatchingPlacemarks(name: String, feature: Feature, mergeName: Boolean) = feature match {
+    case q: Placemark if q.name.matches(name) => merge(q, mergeName)
+    case _ => None
+  }
 }
 
 /**
@@ -559,7 +557,7 @@ case class LineString(tessellate: Tessellate, coordinates: Seq[Coordinates])(val
 
   import Coordinates.empty
 
-  override def merge(g: Geometry): Option[Geometry] = g match {
+  override def merge(g: Geometry, mergeName: Boolean = true): Option[Geometry] = g match {
     case l@LineString(_, _) =>
       for {
         t <- tessellate merge l.tessellate
@@ -900,7 +898,7 @@ object LabelStyle extends Extractors with Renderers {
  * @param $ the value.
  */
 case class Tessellate($: CharSequence) extends Mergeable[Tessellate] {
-  def merge(t: Tessellate): Option[Tessellate] = ($, t.$) match {
+  def merge(t: Tessellate, mergeName: Boolean = true): Option[Tessellate] = ($, t.$) match {
     case (a, b) if a == b => Some(Tessellate(a))
     case _ => None
   }
@@ -982,7 +980,7 @@ case class Coordinates(coordinates: Seq[Coordinate]) extends Mergeable[Coordinat
 
   def gap(other: Coordinates): Option[Double] = gapInternal(coordinates, other.coordinates)
 
-  def merge(other: Coordinates): Option[Coordinates] = {
+  def merge(other: Coordinates, mergeName: Boolean = true): Option[Coordinates] = {
     val xo = vector
     val yo: Option[Cartesian] = other.vector
     val zo: Option[Double] = for (x <- xo; y <- yo) yield x dotProduct y
@@ -1562,7 +1560,7 @@ trait Mergeable[T] {
    * @param t the object to be merged with this.
    * @return the merged value of T.
    */
-  def merge(t: T): Option[T]
+  def merge(t: T, mergeName: Boolean = true): Option[T]
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/main/scala/com/phasmidsoftware/kmldoc/KMLEdit.scala b/src/main/scala/com/phasmidsoftware/kmldoc/KMLEdit.scala
index 102805d..d4f9cb6 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/com/phasmidsoftware/kmldoc/KMLEdit.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/com/phasmidsoftware/kmldoc/KMLEdit.scala
@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@ case class KmlEdit(command: String, operands: Int, op1: Element, maybeOp2: Optio
 object KmlEdit {
 
   def operands(command: String): Int = command match {
-    case KmlEdit.JOIN => 2
-    case KmlEdit.DELETE => 1
+    case JOIN | JOINX => 2
+    case DELETE => 1
     case _ => 0
   }
 
@@ -61,7 +61,19 @@ object KmlEdit {
    */
   def parseLines(ws: Iterator[String]): IO[Seq[KmlEdit]] = (for (w <- ws) yield parse(w)).toSeq.sequence
 
+  /**
+   * Join two elements (typically using the merge method of Mergeable KML objects).
+   */
   val JOIN = "join"
+
+  /**
+   * like JOIN but retains the first name (i.e. it excludes the second name).
+   */
+  val JOINX = "joinX"
+
+  /**
+   * delete an element.
+   */
   val DELETE = "delete"
 }
 
diff --git a/src/main/scala/com/phasmidsoftware/kmldoc/KMLEditor.scala b/src/main/scala/com/phasmidsoftware/kmldoc/KMLEditor.scala
index 91ac45a..b9ee31b 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/com/phasmidsoftware/kmldoc/KMLEditor.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/com/phasmidsoftware/kmldoc/KMLEditor.scala
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import com.phasmidsoftware.kmldoc.KMLCompanion.renderKMLs
 import com.phasmidsoftware.kmldoc.KMLEditor.{addExtension, write}
 import com.phasmidsoftware.render.FormatXML
 import java.io.{BufferedWriter, File, FileWriter, Writer}
+import org.slf4j.{Logger, LoggerFactory}
 import scala.annotation.tailrec
 import scala.io.Source
 import scala.util._
@@ -19,7 +20,7 @@ import scala.util._
  */
 case class KMLEditor(edits: Seq[KmlEdit]) {
 
-  System.err.println(s"KMLEditor: ${edits.mkString}") // TODO generate log message
+  KMLEditor.logger.info(s"KMLEditor: ${edits.mkString}")
 
   /**
    * Method to process the file defined by baseFilename by parsing it, editing it, and writing it out.
@@ -34,8 +35,8 @@ case class KMLEditor(edits: Seq[KmlEdit]) {
     val inputFile = addExtension(baseFilename, kml)
     val outExt = "_out" + kml
     val outputFile = addExtension(baseFilename, outExt)
-    inputFile foreach (f => System.err.println(s"KMLEditor.process from $f")) // TODO generate a log message
-    outputFile foreach (f => System.err.println(s"KMLEditor.process to $f")) // TODO generate a log message
+    inputFile foreach (f => KMLEditor.logger.info(s"KMLEditor.process from $f"))
+    outputFile foreach (f => KMLEditor.logger.info(s"KMLEditor.process to $f"))
     processFromTo(inputFile, outputFile)
   }
 
@@ -50,7 +51,7 @@ case class KMLEditor(edits: Seq[KmlEdit]) {
   private def processFromTo(inputFile: Try[String], outputFile: Try[String]): IO[Unit] = {
     val qsi: IO[Seq[Writer]] = for {
       w <- IO.fromTry(outputFile)
-      _ = println(w)
+//      _ = println(w)
       f <- IO(new File(w))
       bW = new BufferedWriter(new FileWriter(f, false))
       ks <- KMLCompanion.loadKML(inputFile)
@@ -89,6 +90,8 @@ case class KMLEditor(edits: Seq[KmlEdit]) {
 }
 
 object KMLEditor {
+  val logger: Logger = LoggerFactory.getLogger(KMLEditor.getClass)
+
   /**
    * Method to construct a KMLEditor from a filename.
    *
diff --git a/src/test/scala/com/phasmidsoftware/kmldoc/KMLEditorSpec.scala b/src/test/scala/com/phasmidsoftware/kmldoc/KMLEditorSpec.scala
index 90ff14a..8dd9f99 100644
--- a/src/test/scala/com/phasmidsoftware/kmldoc/KMLEditorSpec.scala
+++ b/src/test/scala/com/phasmidsoftware/kmldoc/KMLEditorSpec.scala
@@ -11,39 +11,6 @@ class KMLEditorSpec extends AnyFlatSpec with should.Matchers {
   behavior of "KMLEditor"
 
   val placemark = "Placemark"
-  private val triedFilename: Success[String] = Success("src/main/resources/com/phasmidsoftware/kmldoc/placemarks.kml")
-
-  it should "processKMLs" in {
-    val editor = KMLEditor(Seq(KmlEdit(KmlEdit.JOIN, 2, Element(placemark, "Salem & Lowell RR (#1)"), Some(Element(placemark, "Salem & Lowell RR (#2)"))), KmlEdit(KmlEdit.DELETE, 1, Element(placemark, "Salem & Lowell RR (#2)"), None)))
-    val ksi: IO[Seq[KML]] = for {
-      ks <- KMLCompanion.loadKML(triedFilename)
-      ks2 = editor.processKMLs(ks)
-    } yield ks2
-    val result = ksi.unsafeRunSync()
-    val feature: Feature = result.head.features.head
-    feature match {
-      case Document(fs) =>
-        val folder = fs.head
-        folder match {
-          case Folder(features) =>
-            features.size shouldBe 1
-            val p1 = features.head
-            p1 match {
-              case Placemark(g) =>
-                val lineString = g.head
-                lineString match {
-                  case LineString(_, cs) =>
-                    cs.head.coordinates.size shouldBe 163
-                    // TODO check the ordering of the Coordinate values.
-                }
-            }
-        }
-    }
-  }
-
-  it should "edits" in {
-
-  }
 
   it should "parse" in {
     val result: IO[KMLEditor] = KMLEditor.parse(Success("src/main/resources/com/phasmidsoftware/kmldoc/sampleEdits.txt"))