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-rw-r--r--Documentation/diff-options.txt122
1 files changed, 95 insertions, 27 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/diff-options.txt b/Documentation/diff-options.txt
index 9f7cba2be6..ccd499867b 100644
--- a/Documentation/diff-options.txt
+++ b/Documentation/diff-options.txt
@@ -26,6 +26,11 @@ ifndef::git-format-patch[]
{git-diff? This is the default.}
endif::git-format-patch[]
+-s::
+--no-patch::
+ Suppress diff output. Useful for commands like `git show` that
+ show the patch by default, or to cancel the effect of `--patch`.
+
-U<n>::
--unified=<n>::
Generate diffs with <n> lines of context instead of
@@ -52,20 +57,49 @@ endif::git-format-patch[]
--patience::
Generate a diff using the "patience diff" algorithm.
+--histogram::
+ Generate a diff using the "histogram diff" algorithm.
+
+--diff-algorithm={patience|minimal|histogram|myers}::
+ Choose a diff algorithm. The variants are as follows:
++
+--
+`default`, `myers`;;
+ The basic greedy diff algorithm. Currently, this is the default.
+`minimal`;;
+ Spend extra time to make sure the smallest possible diff is
+ produced.
+`patience`;;
+ Use "patience diff" algorithm when generating patches.
+`histogram`;;
+ This algorithm extends the patience algorithm to "support
+ low-occurrence common elements".
+--
++
+For instance, if you configured diff.algorithm variable to a
+non-default value and want to use the default one, then you
+have to use `--diff-algorithm=default` option.
+
--stat[=<width>[,<name-width>[,<count>]]]::
- Generate a diffstat. You can override the default
- output width for 80-column terminal by `--stat=<width>`.
- The width of the filename part can be controlled by
- giving another width to it separated by a comma.
+ Generate a diffstat. By default, as much space as necessary
+ will be used for the filename part, and the rest for the graph
+ part. Maximum width defaults to terminal width, or 80 columns
+ if not connected to a terminal, and can be overridden by
+ `<width>`. The width of the filename part can be limited by
+ giving another width `<name-width>` after a comma. The width
+ of the graph part can be limited by using
+ `--stat-graph-width=<width>` (affects all commands generating
+ a stat graph) or by setting `diff.statGraphWidth=<width>`
+ (does not affect `git format-patch`).
By giving a third parameter `<count>`, you can limit the
- output to the first `<count>` lines, followed by
- `...` if there are more.
+ output to the first `<count>` lines, followed by `...` if
+ there are more.
+
These parameters can also be set individually with `--stat-width=<width>`,
`--stat-name-width=<name-width>` and `--stat-count=<count>`.
--numstat::
- Similar to `\--stat`, but shows number of added and
+ Similar to `--stat`, but shows number of added and
deleted lines in decimal notation and pathname without
abbreviation, to make it more machine friendly. For
binary files, outputs two `-` instead of saying
@@ -156,16 +190,18 @@ any of those replacements occurred.
of the `--diff-filter` option on what the status letters mean.
--submodule[=<format>]::
- Chose the output format for submodule differences. <format> can be one of
- 'short' and 'log'. 'short' just shows pairs of commit names, this format
- is used when this option is not given. 'log' is the default value for this
- option and lists the commits in that commit range like the 'summary'
- option of linkgit:git-submodule[1] does.
+ Specify how differences in submodules are shown. When `--submodule`
+ or `--submodule=log` is given, the 'log' format is used. This format lists
+ the commits in the range like linkgit:git-submodule[1] `summary` does.
+ Omitting the `--submodule` option or specifying `--submodule=short`,
+ uses the 'short' format. This format just shows the names of the commits
+ at the beginning and end of the range. Can be tweaked via the
+ `diff.submodule` configuration variable.
--color[=<when>]::
Show colored diff.
- The value must be `always` (the default for `<when>`), `never`, or `auto`.
- The default value is `never`.
+ `--color` (i.e. without '=<when>') is the same as `--color=always`.
+ '<when>' can be one of `always`, `never`, or `auto`.
ifdef::git-diff[]
It can be changed by the `color.ui` and `color.diff`
configuration settings.
@@ -272,7 +308,7 @@ few lines that happen to match textually as the context, but as a
single deletion of everything old followed by a single insertion of
everything new, and the number `m` controls this aspect of the -B
option (defaults to 60%). `-B/70%` specifies that less than 30% of the
-original should remain in the result for git to consider it a total
+original should remain in the result for Git to consider it a total
rewrite (i.e. otherwise the resulting patch will be a series of
deletion and insertion mixed together with context lines).
+
@@ -296,9 +332,13 @@ ifdef::git-log[]
endif::git-log[]
If `n` is specified, it is a threshold on the similarity
index (i.e. amount of addition/deletions compared to the
- file's size). For example, `-M90%` means git should consider a
+ file's size). For example, `-M90%` means Git should consider a
delete/add pair to be a rename if more than 90% of the file
- hasn't changed.
+ hasn't changed. Without a `%` sign, the number is to be read as
+ a fraction, with a decimal point before it. I.e., `-M5` becomes
+ 0.5, and is thus the same as `-M50%`. Similarly, `-M05` is
+ the same as `-M5%`. To limit detection to exact renames, use
+ `-M100%`. The default similarity index is 50%.
-C[<n>]::
--find-copies[=<n>]::
@@ -318,7 +358,7 @@ endif::git-log[]
--irreversible-delete::
Omit the preimage for deletes, i.e. print only the header but not
the diff between the preimage and `/dev/null`. The resulting patch
- is not meant to be applied with `patch` nor `git apply`; this is
+ is not meant to be applied with `patch` or `git apply`; this is
solely for people who want to just concentrate on reviewing the
text after the change. In addition, the output obviously lack
enough information to apply such a patch in reverse, even manually,
@@ -348,14 +388,36 @@ ifndef::git-format-patch[]
that matches other criteria, nothing is selected.
-S<string>::
- Look for differences that introduce or remove an instance of
- <string>. Note that this is different than the string simply
- appearing in diff output; see the 'pickaxe' entry in
- linkgit:gitdiffcore[7] for more details.
+ Look for differences that change the number of occurrences of
+ the specified string (i.e. addition/deletion) in a file.
+ Intended for the scripter's use.
++
+It is useful when you're looking for an exact block of code (like a
+struct), and want to know the history of that block since it first
+came into being: use the feature iteratively to feed the interesting
+block in the preimage back into `-S`, and keep going until you get the
+very first version of the block.
-G<regex>::
- Look for differences whose added or removed line matches
- the given <regex>.
+ Look for differences whose patch text contains added/removed
+ lines that match <regex>.
++
+To illustrate the difference between `-S<regex> --pickaxe-regex` and
+`-G<regex>`, consider a commit with the following diff in the same
+file:
++
+----
++ return !regexec(regexp, two->ptr, 1, &regmatch, 0);
+...
+- hit = !regexec(regexp, mf2.ptr, 1, &regmatch, 0);
+----
++
+While `git log -G"regexec\(regexp"` will show this commit, `git log
+-S"regexec\(regexp" --pickaxe-regex` will not (because the number of
+occurrences of that string did not change).
++
+See the 'pickaxe' entry in linkgit:gitdiffcore[7] for more
+information.
--pickaxe-all::
When `-S` or `-G` finds a change, show all the changes in that
@@ -363,13 +425,16 @@ ifndef::git-format-patch[]
in <string>.
--pickaxe-regex::
- Make the <string> not a plain string but an extended POSIX
- regex to match.
+ Treat the <string> given to `-S` as an extended POSIX regular
+ expression to match.
endif::git-format-patch[]
-O<orderfile>::
Output the patch in the order specified in the
<orderfile>, which has one shell glob pattern per line.
+ This overrides the `diff.orderFile` configuration variable
+ (see linkgit:git-config[1]). To cancel `diff.orderFile`,
+ use `-O/dev/null`.
ifndef::git-format-patch[]
-R::
@@ -404,6 +469,9 @@ endif::git-format-patch[]
differences even if one line has whitespace where the other
line has none.
+--ignore-blank-lines::
+ Ignore changes whose lines are all blank.
+
--inter-hunk-context=<lines>::
Show the context between diff hunks, up to the specified number
of lines, thereby fusing hunks that are close to each other.
@@ -445,7 +513,7 @@ endif::git-format-patch[]
--ignore-submodules[=<when>]::
Ignore changes to submodules in the diff generation. <when> can be
- either "none", "untracked", "dirty" or "all", which is the default
+ either "none", "untracked", "dirty" or "all", which is the default.
Using "none" will consider the submodule modified when it either contains
untracked or modified files or its HEAD differs from the commit recorded
in the superproject and can be used to override any settings of the