10fdf88dce296f9fd7aea849b974cfbe709fa1b4
1 git-diff(1)
2 ===========
4 NAME
5 ----
6 git-diff - Show changes between commits, commit and working tree, etc
9 SYNOPSIS
10 --------
11 'git-diff' [ --diff-options ] <tree-ish>{0,2} [--] [<path>...]
13 DESCRIPTION
14 -----------
15 Show changes between two trees, a tree and the working tree, a
16 tree and the index file, or the index file and the working tree.
18 'git-diff' [--options] [--] [<path>...]::
20 This form is to view the changes you made relative to
21 the index (staging area for the next commit). In other
22 words, the differences are what you _could_ tell git to
23 further add to the index but you still haven't. You can
24 stage these changes by using gitlink:git-add[1].
26 'git-diff' [--options] --cached [<commit>] [--] [<path>...]::
28 This form is to view the changes you staged for the next
29 commit relative to the named <tree-ish>. Typically you
30 would want comparison with the latest commit, so if you
31 do not give <commit>, it defaults to HEAD.
33 'git-diff' [--options] <commit> [--] [<path>...]::
35 This form is to view the changes you have in your
36 working tree relative to the named <commit>. You can
37 use HEAD to compare it with the latest commit, or a
38 branch name to compare with the tip of a different
39 branch.
41 'git-diff' [--options] <commit> <commit> [--] [<path>...]::
43 This form is to view the changes between two <commit>,
44 for example, tips of two branches.
46 Just in case if you are doing something exotic, it should be
47 noted that all of the <commit> in the above description can be
48 any <tree-ish>.
51 OPTIONS
52 -------
53 include::diff-options.txt[]
55 <path>...::
56 The <paths> parameters, when given, are used to limit
57 the diff to the named paths (you can give directory
58 names and get diff for all files under them).
61 EXAMPLES
62 --------
64 Various ways to check your working tree::
65 +
66 ------------
67 $ git diff <1>
68 $ git diff --cached <2>
69 $ git diff HEAD <3>
70 ------------
71 +
72 <1> changes in the working tree not yet staged for the next commit.
73 <2> changes between the index and your last commit; what you
74 would be committing if you run "git commit" without "-a" option.
75 <3> changes in the working tree since your last commit; what you
76 would be committing if you run "git commit -a"
78 Comparing with arbitrary commits::
79 +
80 ------------
81 $ git diff test <1>
82 $ git diff HEAD -- ./test <2>
83 $ git diff HEAD^ HEAD <3>
84 ------------
85 +
86 <1> instead of using the tip of the current branch, compare with the
87 tip of "test" branch.
88 <2> instead of comparing with the tip of "test" branch, compare with
89 the tip of the current branch, but limit the comparison to the
90 file "test".
91 <3> compare the version before the last commit and the last commit.
94 Limiting the diff output::
95 +
96 ------------
97 $ git diff --diff-filter=MRC <1>
98 $ git diff --name-status -r <2>
99 $ git diff arch/i386 include/asm-i386 <3>
100 ------------
101 +
102 <1> show only modification, rename and copy, but not addition
103 nor deletion.
104 <2> show only names and the nature of change, but not actual
105 diff output. --name-status disables usual patch generation
106 which in turn also disables recursive behavior, so without -r
107 you would only see the directory name if there is a change in a
108 file in a subdirectory.
109 <3> limit diff output to named subtrees.
111 Munging the diff output::
112 +
113 ------------
114 $ git diff --find-copies-harder -B -C <1>
115 $ git diff -R <2>
116 ------------
117 +
118 <1> spend extra cycles to find renames, copies and complete
119 rewrites (very expensive).
120 <2> output diff in reverse.
123 Author
124 ------
125 Written by Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org>
127 Documentation
128 --------------
129 Documentation by Junio C Hamano and the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.
131 GIT
132 ---
133 Part of the gitlink:git[7] suite