* Strategic Merge Patch

    * Reference docs now display the patch type and patch merge key used by `kubectl apply` to merge and identify unique elements in arrays.

      * `kubectl edit` and `kubectl apply` will keep the ordering of elements in merged lists ([#45980](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/45980), [@mengqiy](https://github.com/mengqiy))

## Changelog since v1.22.7

## Changes by Kind

### API Change

## Changelog since v1.23.4

## Changes by Kind

### API Change

## Changelog since v1.21.10

## Changes by Kind

### API Change

- Switch scheduler to generate the merge patch on pod status instead of the full pod ([#103133](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/103133), [@marwanad](https://github.com/marwanad)) [SIG Scheduling]

    - A new option cloudConfigType has been added to the cloud-config file. Supported values are: `file`, `secret` and `merge` (`merge` is the default value).
    - To allow Azure cloud provider to read secrets, the [RBAC rules](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/78242) should be configured.

#### CLI

## Dependencies

### Added
- sigs.k8s.io/structured-merge-diff/v6: v6.2.0

### Changed
- k8s.io/kube-openapi: d90c4fd → f3f2b99

### Removed
- sigs.k8s.io/structured-merge-diff/v4: v4.7.0



# v1.34.0-alpha.3


## Downloads for v1.34.0-alpha.3



### Source Code

- resource.k8s.io/ResourceClaim (alpha API): The strategic merge patch strategy for the `status.reservedFor` array was changed so that a strategic-merge-patch can now add individual entries. This change may break clients using strategic merge patch to update status, which rely on the previous behavior (replacing the entire array).

- Fixes a regression in v1beta1 PodDisruptionBudget handling of `strategic merge patch`-type API requests for the `selector` field. Prior to 1.21, these requests would merge `matchLabels` content and replace `matchExpressions` content. In 1.21, patch requests touching the `selector` field started replacing the entire selector. This is consistent with server-side apply and...

* Fix some false negatives in detection of meaningful conflicts during strategic merge patch with maps and lists. ([#43469](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/43469), [@enisoc](https://github.com/enisoc))