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' [<common diff options>] <commit>{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 <commit>. 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>.
50 For a more complete list of ways to spell <commit>, see
51 "SPECIFYING REVISIONS" section in gitlink:git-rev-parse[1].
54 OPTIONS
55 -------
56 include::diff-options.txt[]
58 <path>...::
59 The <paths> parameters, when given, are used to limit
60 the diff to the named paths (you can give directory
61 names and get diff for all files under them).
64 EXAMPLES
65 --------
67 Various ways to check your working tree::
68 +
69 ------------
70 $ git diff <1>
71 $ git diff --cached <2>
72 $ git diff HEAD <3>
73 ------------
74 +
75 <1> changes in the working tree not yet staged for the next commit.
76 <2> changes between the index and your last commit; what you
77 would be committing if you run "git commit" without "-a" option.
78 <3> changes in the working tree since your last commit; what you
79 would be committing if you run "git commit -a"
81 Comparing with arbitrary commits::
82 +
83 ------------
84 $ git diff test <1>
85 $ git diff HEAD -- ./test <2>
86 $ git diff HEAD^ HEAD <3>
87 ------------
88 +
89 <1> instead of using the tip of the current branch, compare with the
90 tip of "test" branch.
91 <2> instead of comparing with the tip of "test" branch, compare with
92 the tip of the current branch, but limit the comparison to the
93 file "test".
94 <3> compare the version before the last commit and the last commit.
97 Limiting the diff output::
98 +
99 ------------
100 $ git diff --diff-filter=MRC <1>
101 $ git diff --name-status -r <2>
102 $ git diff arch/i386 include/asm-i386 <3>
103 ------------
104 +
105 <1> show only modification, rename and copy, but not addition
106 nor deletion.
107 <2> show only names and the nature of change, but not actual
108 diff output. --name-status disables usual patch generation
109 which in turn also disables recursive behavior, so without -r
110 you would only see the directory name if there is a change in a
111 file in a subdirectory.
112 <3> limit diff output to named subtrees.
114 Munging the diff output::
115 +
116 ------------
117 $ git diff --find-copies-harder -B -C <1>
118 $ git diff -R <2>
119 ------------
120 +
121 <1> spend extra cycles to find renames, copies and complete
122 rewrites (very expensive).
123 <2> output diff in reverse.
126 Author
127 ------
128 Written by Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org>
130 Documentation
131 --------------
132 Documentation by Junio C Hamano and the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.
134 GIT
135 ---
136 Part of the gitlink:git[7] suite