Originální popis anglicky:
diff - find differences between two files
Návod, kniha: GNU Tools
diff [options] from-file to-file
In the simplest case,
diff compares the contents of the two files
from-file and
to-file. A file name of
- stands for text
read from the standard input. As a special case,
diff - - compares a
copy of standard input to itself.
If
from-file is a directory and
to-file is not,
diff
compares the file in
from-file whose file name is that of
to-file, and vice versa. The non-directory file must not be
-.
If both
from-file and
to-file are directories,
diff
compares corresponding files in both directories, in alphabetical order; this
comparison is not recursive unless the
-r or
--recursive option
is given.
diff never compares the actual contents of a directory as if
it were a file. The file that is fully specified may not be standard input,
because standard input is nameless and the notion of ``file with the same
name'' does not apply.
diff options begin with
-, so normally
from-file and
to-file may not begin with
-. However,
-- as an argument
by itself treats the remaining arguments as file names even if they begin with
-.
Below is a summary of all of the options that GNU
diff accepts. Most
options have two equivalent names, one of which is a single letter preceded by
-, and the other of which is a long name preceded by
--.
Multiple single letter options (unless they take an argument) can be combined
into a single command line word:
-ac is equivalent to
-a -c.
Long named options can be abbreviated to any unique prefix of their name.
Brackets (
[ and
]) indicate that an option takes an optional
argument.
- -lines
- Show lines (an integer) lines of context. This
option does not specify an output format by itself; it has no effect
unless it is combined with -c or -u. This option is
obsolete. For proper operation, patch typically needs at least two
lines of context.
- -a
- Treat all files as text and compare them line-by-line, even
if they do not seem to be text.
- -b
- Ignore changes in amount of white space.
- -B
- Ignore changes that just insert or delete blank lines.
- --brief
- Report only whether the files differ, not the details of
the differences.
- -c
- Use the context output format.
- -C lines
-
- --context[=lines]
- Use the context output format, showing lines (an
integer) lines of context, or three if lines is not given. For
proper operation, patch typically needs at least two lines of
context.
- --changed-group-format=format
- Use format to output a line group containing
differing lines from both files in if-then-else format.
- -d
- Change the algorithm to perhaps find a smaller set of
changes. This makes diff slower (sometimes much slower).
- -D name
- Make merged if-then-else format output, conditional on the
preprocessor macro name.
- -e
-
- --ed
- Make output that is a valid ed script.
- --exclude=pattern
- When comparing directories, ignore files and subdirectories
whose basenames match pattern.
- --exclude-from=file
- When comparing directories, ignore files and subdirectories
whose basenames match any pattern contained in file.
- --expand-tabs
- Expand tabs to spaces in the output, to preserve the
alignment of tabs in the input files.
- -f
- Make output that looks vaguely like an ed script but
has changes in the order they appear in the file.
- -F regexp
- In context and unified format, for each hunk of
differences, show some of the last preceding line that matches
regexp.
- --forward-ed
- Make output that looks vaguely like an ed script but
has changes in the order they appear in the file.
- -h
- This option currently has no effect; it is present for Unix
compatibility.
- -H
- Use heuristics to speed handling of large files that have
numerous scattered small changes.
- --horizon-lines=lines
- Do not discard the last lines lines of the common
prefix and the first lines lines of the common suffix.
- -i
- Ignore changes in case; consider upper- and lower-case
letters equivalent.
- -I regexp
- Ignore changes that just insert or delete lines that match
regexp.
- --ifdef=name
- Make merged if-then-else format output, conditional on the
preprocessor macro name.
- --ignore-all-space
- Ignore white space when comparing lines.
- --ignore-blank-lines
- Ignore changes that just insert or delete blank lines.
- --ignore-case
- Ignore changes in case; consider upper- and lower-case to
be the same.
- --ignore-matching-lines=regexp
- Ignore changes that just insert or delete lines that match
regexp.
- --ignore-space-change
- Ignore changes in amount of white space.
- --initial-tab
- Output a tab rather than a space before the text of a line
in normal or context format. This causes the alignment of tabs in the line
to look normal.
- -l
- Pass the output through pr to paginate it.
- -L label
-
- --label=label
- Use label instead of the file name in the context
format and unified format headers.
- --left-column
- Print only the left column of two common lines in side by
side format.
- --line-format=format
- Use format to output all input lines in in-then-else
format.
- --minimal
- Change the algorithm to perhaps find a smaller set of
changes. This makes diff slower (sometimes much slower).
- -n
- Output RCS-format diffs; like -f except that each
command specifies the number of lines affected.
- -N
-
- --new-file
- In directory comparison, if a file is found in only one
directory, treat it as present but empty in the other directory.
- --new-group-format=format
- Use format to output a group of lines taken from
just the second file in if-then-else format.
- --new-line-format=format
- Use format to output a line taken from just the
second file in if-then-else format.
- --old-group-format=format
- Use format to output a group of lines taken from
just the first file in if-then-else format.
- --old-line-format=format
- Use format to output a line taken from just the
first file in if-then-else format.
- -p
- Show which C function each change is in.
- -P
- When comparing directories, if a file appears only in the
second directory of the two, treat it as present but empty in the
other.
- --paginate
- Pass the output through pr to paginate it.
- -q
- Report only whether the files differ, not the details of
the differences.
- -r
- When comparing directories, recursively compare any
subdirectories found.
- --rcs
- Output RCS-format diffs; like -f except that each
command specifies the number of lines affected.
- --recursive
- When comparing directories, recursively compare any
subdirectories found.
- --report-identical-files
-
- -s
- Report when two files are the same.
- -S file
- When comparing directories, start with the file
file. This is used for resuming an aborted comparison.
- --sdiff-merge-assist
- Print extra information to help sdiff. sdiff
uses this option when it runs diff. This option is not intended for
users to use directly.
- --show-c-function
- Show which C function each change is in.
- --show-function-line=regexp
- In context and unified format, for each hunk of
differences, show some of the last preceding line that matches
regexp.
- --side-by-side
- Use the side by side output format.
- --speed-large-files
- Use heuristics to speed handling of large files that have
numerous scattered small changes.
- --starting-file=file
- When comparing directories, start with the file
file. This is used for resuming an aborted comparison.
- --suppress-common-lines
- Do not print common lines in side by side format.
- -t
- Expand tabs to spaces in the output, to preserve the
alignment of tabs in the input files.
- -T
- Output a tab rather than a space before the text of a line
in normal or context format. This causes the alignment of tabs in the line
to look normal.
- --text
- Treat all files as text and compare them line-by-line, even
if they do not appear to be text.
- -u
- Use the unified output format.
- --unchanged-group-format=format
- Use format to output a group of common lines taken
from both files in if-then-else format.
- --unchanged-line-format=format
- Use format to output a line common to both files in
if-then-else format.
- --unidirectional-new-file
- When comparing directories, if a file appears only in the
second directory of the two, treat it as present but empty in the
other.
- -U lines
-
- --unified[=lines]
- Use the unified output format, showing lines (an
integer) lines of context, or three if lines is not given. For
proper operation, patch typically needs at least two lines of
context.
- -v
-
- --version
- Output the version number of diff.
- -w
- Ignore white space when comparing lines.
- -W columns
-
- --width=columns
- Use an output width of columns in side by side
format.
- -x pattern
- When comparing directories, ignore files and subdirectories
whose basenames match pattern.
- -X file
- When comparing directories, ignore files and subdirectories
whose basenames match any pattern contained in file.
- -y
- Use the side by side output format.
cmp(1), comm(1), diff3(1), ed(1), patch(1), pr(1), sdiff(1).
An exit status of 0 means no differences were found, 1 means some differences
were found, and 2 means trouble.