git-diff(1)

===========

NAME

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

SYNOPSIS

--------

[verse]

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

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

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

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

DESCRIPTION

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

between the index and a tree, changes between two trees, 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].

+

If exactly two paths are given and at least one points outside

the current repository, 'git diff' will compare the two files /

directories. This behavior can be forced by --no-index.

'git diff' [--options] --cached [<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. unborned branches) and

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

--staged is a synonym of --cached.

'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] <commit> <commit> [--] [<path>...]::

This is to view the changes between two arbitrary

<commit>.

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

This is synonymous to the previous form. 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 if you are doing something exotic, it should be

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

in the last two forms that use ".." notations, can be any

<tree>. The third form ('git diff <commit> <commit>') can also

be used to compare two <blob> objects.

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].

OPTIONS

-------

:git-diff: 1

include::diff-options.txt[]

<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

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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>

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

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<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

nor 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]

GIT

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Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite