git-diff(1)

===========

NAME

----

git-diff - Show changes between commits, commit and working tree, etc

SYNOPSIS

--------

[verse]

'git diff' [<options>] [<commit>] [--] [<path>...]

'git diff' [<options>] --cached [--merge-base] [<commit>] [--] [<path>...]

'git diff' [<options>] [--merge-base] <commit> [<commit>...] <commit> [--] [<path>...]

'git diff' [<options>] <commit>...<commit> [--] [<path>...]

'git diff' [<options>] <blob> <blob>

'git diff' [<options>] --no-index [--] <path> <path>

DESCRIPTION

-----------

Show changes between the working tree and the index or a tree, changes

between the index and a tree, changes between two trees, changes resulting

from a merge, changes between two blob objects, or changes between two

files on disk.

'git diff' [<options>] [--] [<path>...]::

This form is to view the changes you made relative to

the index (staging area for the next commit). In other

words, the differences are what you _could_ tell Git to

further add to the index but you still haven't. You can

stage these changes by using linkgit:git-add[1].

'git diff' [<options>] --no-index [--] <path> <path>::

This form is to compare the given two paths on the

filesystem. You can omit the `--no-index` option when

running the command in a working tree controlled by Git and

at least one of the paths points outside the working tree,

or when running the command outside a working tree

controlled by Git. This form implies `--exit-code`.

'git diff' [<options>] --cached [--merge-base] [<commit>] [--] [<path>...]::

This form is to view the changes you staged for the next

commit relative to the named <commit>. Typically you

would want comparison with the latest commit, so if you

do not give <commit>, it defaults to HEAD.

If HEAD does not exist (e.g. unborn branches) and

<commit> is not given, it shows all staged changes.

--staged is a synonym of --cached.

+

If --merge-base is given, instead of using <commit>, use the merge base

of <commit> and HEAD. `git diff --merge-base A` is equivalent to

`git diff $(git merge-base A HEAD)`.

'git diff' [<options>] <commit> [--] [<path>...]::

This form is to view the changes you have in your

working tree relative to the named <commit>. You can

use HEAD to compare it with the latest commit, or a

branch name to compare with the tip of a different

branch.

'git diff' [<options>] [--merge-base] <commit> <commit> [--] [<path>...]::

This is to view the changes between two arbitrary

<commit>.

+

If --merge-base is given, use the merge base of the two commits for the

"before" side. `git diff --merge-base A B` is equivalent to

`git diff $(git merge-base A B) B`.

'git diff' [<options>] <commit> <commit>... <commit> [--] [<path>...]::

This form is to view the results of a merge commit. The first

listed <commit> must be the merge itself; the remaining two or

more commits should be its parents. A convenient way to produce

the desired set of revisions is to use the `^@` suffix.

For instance, if `master` names a merge commit, `git diff master

master^@` gives the same combined diff as `git show master`.

'git diff' [<options>] <commit>..<commit> [--] [<path>...]::

This is synonymous to the earlier form (without the `..`) for

viewing the changes between two arbitrary <commit>. If <commit> on

one side is omitted, it will have the same effect as

using HEAD instead.

'git diff' [<options>] <commit>\...<commit> [--] [<path>...]::

This form is to view the changes on the branch containing

and up to the second <commit>, starting at a common ancestor

of both <commit>. `git diff A...B` is equivalent to

`git diff $(git merge-base A B) B`. You can omit any one

of <commit>, which has the same effect as using HEAD instead.

Just in case you are doing something exotic, it should be

noted that all of the <commit> in the above description, except

in the `--merge-base` case and in the last two forms that use `..`

notations, can be any <tree>.

For a more complete list of ways to spell <commit>, see

"SPECIFYING REVISIONS" section in linkgit:gitrevisions[7].

However, "diff" is about comparing two _endpoints_, not ranges,

and the range notations (`<commit>..<commit>` and

`<commit>...<commit>`) do not mean a range as defined in the

"SPECIFYING RANGES" section in linkgit:gitrevisions[7].

'git diff' [<options>] <blob> <blob>::

This form is to view the differences between the raw

contents of two blob objects.

OPTIONS

-------

:git-diff: 1

include::diff-options.txt[]

-1 --base::

-2 --ours::

-3 --theirs::

Compare the working tree with the "base" version (stage #1),

"our branch" (stage #2) or "their branch" (stage #3). The

index contains these stages only for unmerged entries i.e.

while resolving conflicts. See linkgit:git-read-tree[1]

section "3-Way Merge" for detailed information.

-0::

Omit diff output for unmerged entries and just show

"Unmerged". Can be used only when comparing the working tree

with the index.

<path>...::

The <paths> parameters, when given, are used to limit

the diff to the named paths (you can give directory

names and get diff for all files under them).

include::diff-format.txt[]

EXAMPLES

--------

Various ways to check your working tree::

+

------------

$ git diff <1>

$ git diff --cached <2>

$ git diff HEAD <3>

------------

+

<1> Changes in the working tree not yet staged for the next commit.

<2> Changes between the index and your last commit; what you

would be committing if you run `git commit` without `-a` option.

<3> Changes in the working tree since your last commit; what you

would be committing if you run `git commit -a`

Comparing with arbitrary commits::

+

------------

$ git diff test <1>

$ git diff HEAD -- ./test <2>

$ git diff HEAD^ HEAD <3>

------------

+

<1> Instead of using the tip of the current branch, compare with the

tip of "test" branch.

<2> Instead of comparing with the tip of "test" branch, compare with

the tip of the current branch, but limit the comparison to the

file "test".

<3> Compare the version before the last commit and the last commit.

Comparing branches::

+

------------

$ git diff topic master <1>

$ git diff topic..master <2>

$ git diff topic...master <3>

------------

+

<1> Changes between the tips of the topic and the master branches.

<2> Same as above.

<3> Changes that occurred on the master branch since when the topic

branch was started off it.

Limiting the diff output::

+

------------

$ git diff --diff-filter=MRC <1>

$ git diff --name-status <2>

$ git diff arch/i386 include/asm-i386 <3>

------------

+

<1> Show only modification, rename, and copy, but not addition

or deletion.

<2> Show only names and the nature of change, but not actual

diff output.

<3> Limit diff output to named subtrees.

Munging the diff output::

+

------------

$ git diff --find-copies-harder -B -C <1>

$ git diff -R <2>

------------

+

<1> Spend extra cycles to find renames, copies and complete

rewrites (very expensive).

<2> Output diff in reverse.

SEE ALSO

--------

diff(1),

linkgit:git-difftool[1],

linkgit:git-log[1],

linkgit:gitdiffcore[7],

linkgit:git-format-patch[1],

linkgit:git-apply[1],

linkgit:git-show[1]

GIT

---

Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite