DIFF(1)

NAME
diff - compute `intelligent' differences between two files

SYNOPSIS
diff [-c | -C lines | -e | -f | -q | -s | -u | -U lines] file1 file2

DESCRIPTION
The diff command compares file1 and file2, producing a listing on standard output describing how to convert one file to the other. Various formats are available for representing the file changes. By default the output is in the traditional UNIX diff format.

Two directories cannot be compared. If either file1 or file2 is a directory, diff is applied to the non-directory file and a file of the same name within the directory.

OPTIONS
The following options are supported.

-c  Produce a context diff with 3 lines of context

-C NUM
    Produce a context diff with NUM lines of context

-e  Create a script for the ed editor

-f  Like -e but in reverse order (output cannot be processed by ed)

-u  Output a unified diff with 3 lines of context

-U NUM
    Output a unified diff with NUM lines of context

-q  Print a message if the input files differ instead of displaying the difference.

-s  Print a message if the input files are identical. By default no output is produced in this case.

AUTHOR
Mark-Jason Dominus, "<mjd-perl-diff@plover.com>".

Visit my diff/LCS web page at <http://www.plover.com/~mjd/perl/diff/>.