Print the real filename that we failed to open.

[git.git] / Documentation / git-diff.txt

diff --git a/Documentation/git-diff.txt b/Documentation/git-diff.txt
index b36e705dd0cc97ca73cb041a3552c8441846f1b8..2808a5ec44d8a9e911faf4c7d24eb844d69390f2 100644 (file)
--- a/Documentation/git-diff.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-diff.txt
@@ -22,10 +22,10 @@ tree and the index file, or the index file and the working tree.
        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 gitlink:git-add[1].
        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 gitlink:git-add[1].

-
-       If exactly two paths are given, and at least one is untracked,
-       compare the two files / directories. This behavior can be
-       forced by --no-index.
++
+If exactly two paths are given, and at least one is untracked,
+compare the two files / directories. This behavior can be
+forced by --no-index.

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


@@ -44,19 +44,38 @@ tree and the index file, or the index file and the working tree.
 
 'git-diff' [--options] <commit> <commit> [--] [<path>...]::
 
 
 'git-diff' [--options] <commit> <commit> [--] [<path>...]::
 

-       This form is to view the changes between two <commit>,
-       for example, tips of two branches.
+       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
 
 Just in case if you are doing something exotic, it should be

-noted that all of the <commit> in the above description can be
-any <tree-ish>.
+noted that all of the <commit> in the above description, except
+for the last two forms that use ".." notations, can be any
+<tree-ish>.

 
 For a more complete list of ways to spell <commit>, see
 "SPECIFYING REVISIONS" section in gitlink:git-rev-parse[1].
 
 For a more complete list of ways to spell <commit>, see
 "SPECIFYING REVISIONS" section in gitlink:git-rev-parse[1].

-
+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 gitlink:git-rev-parse[1].

 
 OPTIONS
 -------
 
 OPTIONS
 -------

+:git-diff: 1

 include::diff-options.txt[]
 
 <path>...::
 include::diff-options.txt[]
 
 <path>...::


@@ -64,6 +83,9 @@ include::diff-options.txt[]
        the diff to the named paths (you can give directory
        names and get diff for all files under them).
 
        the diff to the named paths (you can give directory
        names and get diff for all files under them).
 

+Output format
+-------------
+include::diff-format.txt[]

 
 EXAMPLES
 --------
 
 EXAMPLES
 --------


@@ -97,6 +119,18 @@ 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.
 
 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::
 +
 
 Limiting the diff output::
 +