git-diff(1) =========== NAME ---- git-diff - Show changes between commits, commit and working tree, etc SYNOPSIS -------- [verse] 'git diff' [<options>] [<commit>] [--] [<path>...] 'git diff' [<options>] --cached [--merge-base] [<commit>] [--] [<path>...] 'git diff' [<options>] [--merge-base] <commit> [<commit>...] <commit> [--] [<path>...] 'git diff' [<options>] <commit>...<commit> [--] [<path>...] 'git diff' [<options>] <blob> <blob> 'git diff' [<options>] --no-index [--] <path> <path> DESCRIPTION ----------- Show changes between the working tree and the index or a tree, changes between the index and a tree, changes between two trees, changes resulting from a merge, changes between two blob objects, 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]. 'git diff' [<options>] --no-index [--] <path> <path>:: This form is to compare the given two paths on the filesystem. You can omit the `--no-index` option when running the command in a working tree controlled by Git and at least one of the paths points outside the working tree, or when running the command outside a working tree controlled by Git. This form implies `--exit-code`. 'git diff' [<options>] --cached [--merge-base] [<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. unborn branches) and <commit> is not given, it shows all staged changes. --staged is a synonym of --cached. + If --merge-base is given, instead of using <commit>, use the merge base of <commit> and HEAD. `git diff --cached --merge-base A` is equivalent to `git diff --cached $(git merge-base A HEAD)`. 'git diff' [<options>] [--merge-base] <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. + If --merge-base is given, instead of using <commit>, use the merge base of <commit> and HEAD. `git diff --merge-base A` is equivalent to `git diff $(git merge-base A HEAD)`. 'git diff' [<options>] [--merge-base] <commit> <commit> [--] [<path>...]:: This is to view the changes between two arbitrary <commit>. + If --merge-base is given, use the merge base of the two commits for the "before" side. `git diff --merge-base A B` is equivalent to `git diff $(git merge-base A B) B`. 'git diff' [<options>] <commit> <commit>... <commit> [--] [<path>...]:: This form is to view the results of a merge commit. The first listed <commit> must be the merge itself; the remaining two or more commits should be its parents. Convenient ways to produce the desired set of revisions are to use the suffixes `^@` and `^!`. If A is a merge commit, then `git diff A A^@`, `git diff A^!` and `git show A` all give the same combined diff. 'git diff' [<options>] <commit>..<commit> [--] [<path>...]:: This is synonymous to the earlier form (without the `..`) for viewing the changes between two arbitrary <commit>. 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 you are doing something exotic, it should be noted that all of the <commit> in the above description, except in the `--merge-base` case and in the last two forms that use `..` notations, can be any <tree>. A tree of interest is the one pointed to by the ref named `AUTO_MERGE`, which is written by the 'ort' merge strategy upon hitting merge conflicts (see linkgit:git-merge[1]). Comparing the working tree with `AUTO_MERGE` shows changes you've made so far to resolve textual conflicts (see the examples below). 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]. 'git diff' [<options>] <blob> <blob>:: This form is to view the differences between the raw contents of two blob objects. OPTIONS ------- :git-diff: 1 include::diff-options.txt[] -1 --base:: -2 --ours:: -3 --theirs:: Compare the working tree with the "base" version (stage #1), "our branch" (stage #2) or "their branch" (stage #3). The index contains these stages only for unmerged entries i.e. while resolving conflicts. See linkgit:git-read-tree[1] section "3-Way Merge" for detailed information. -0:: Omit diff output for unmerged entries and just show "Unmerged". Can be used only when comparing the working tree with the index. <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 -------- Various ways to check your working tree:: + ------------ $ git diff <1> $ git diff --cached <2> $ git diff HEAD <3> $ git diff AUTO_MERGE <4> ------------ + <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` <4> Changes in the working tree you've made to resolve textual conflicts so far. 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> ------------ + <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 or 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. CONFIGURATION ------------- include::includes/cmd-config-section-all.txt[] include::config/diff.txt[] SEE ALSO -------- diff(1), linkgit:git-difftool[1], linkgit:git-log[1], linkgit:gitdiffcore[7], linkgit:git-format-patch[1], linkgit:git-apply[1], linkgit:git-show[1] GIT --- Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite