1 files changed, 166 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/technical/api-diff.txt b/Documentation/technical/api-diff.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..20b0241d30
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Documentation/technical/api-diff.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,166 @@
+diff API
+========
+
+The diff API is for programs that compare two sets of files (e.g. two
+trees, one tree and the index) and present the found difference in
+various ways.  The calling program is responsible for feeding the API
+pairs of files, one from the "old" set and the corresponding one from
+"new" set, that are different.  The library called through this API is
+called diffcore, and is responsible for two things.
+
+* finding total rewrites (`-B`), renames (`-M`) and copies (`-C`), and
+  changes that touch a string (`-S`), as specified by the caller.
+
+* outputting the differences in various formats, as specified by the
+  caller.
+
+Calling sequence
+----------------
+
+* Prepare `struct diff_options` to record the set of diff options, and
+  then call `diff_setup()` to initialize this structure.  This sets up
+  the vanilla default.
+
+* Fill in the options structure to specify desired output format, rename
+  detection, etc.  `diff_opt_parse()` can be used to parse options given
+  from the command line in a way consistent with existing git-diff
+  family of programs.
+
+* Call `diff_setup_done()`; this inspects the options set up so far for
+  internal consistency and make necessary tweaking to it (e.g. if
+  textual patch output was asked, recursive behaviour is turned on).
+
+* As you find different pairs of files, call `diff_change()` to feed
+  modified files, `diff_addremove()` to feed created or deleted files,
+  or `diff_unmerged()` to feed a file whose state is 'unmerged' to the
+  API.  These are thin wrappers to a lower-level `diff_queue()` function
+  that is flexible enough to record any of these kinds of changes.
+
+* Once you finish feeding the pairs of files, call `diffcore_std()`.
+  This will tell the diffcore library to go ahead and do its work.
+
+* Calling `diff_flush()` will produce the output.
+
+
+Data structures
+---------------
+
+* `struct diff_filespec`
+
+This is the internal representation for a single file (blob).  It
+records the blob object name (if known -- for a work tree file it
+typically is a NUL SHA-1), filemode and pathname.  This is what the
+`diff_addremove()`, `diff_change()` and `diff_unmerged()` synthesize and
+feed `diff_queue()` function with.
+
+* `struct diff_filepair`
+
+This records a pair of `struct diff_filespec`; the filespec for a file
+in the "old" set (i.e. preimage) is called `one`, and the filespec for a
+file in the "new" set (i.e. postimage) is called `two`.  A change that
+represents file creation has NULL in `one`, and file deletion has NULL
+in `two`.
+
+A `filepair` starts pointing at `one` and `two` that are from the same
+filename, but `diffcore_std()` can break pairs and match component
+filespecs with other filespecs from a different filepair to form new
+filepair.  This is called 'rename detection'.
+
+* `struct diff_queue`
+
+This is a collection of filepairs.  Notable members are:
+
+`queue`::
+
+	An array of pointers to `struct diff_filepair`.  This
+	dynamically grows as you add filepairs;
+
+`alloc`::
+
+	The allocated size of the `queue` array;
+
+`nr`::
+
+	The number of elements in the `queue` array.
+
+
+* `struct diff_options`
+
+This describes the set of options the calling program wants to affect
+the operation of diffcore library with.
+
+Notable members are:
+
+`output_format`::
+	The output format used when `diff_flush()` is run.
+
+`context`::
+	Number of context lines to generate in patch output.
+
+`break_opt`, `detect_rename`, `rename-score`, `rename_limit`::
+	Affects the way detection logic for complete rewrites, renames
+	and copies.
+
+`abbrev`::
+	Number of hexdigits to abbreviate raw format output to.
+
+`pickaxe`::
+	A constant string (can and typically does contain newlines to
+	look for a block of text, not just a single line) to filter out
+	the filepairs that do not change the number of strings contained
+	in its preimage and postimage of the diff_queue.
+
+`flags`::
+	This is mostly a collection of boolean options that affects the
+	operation, but some do not have anything to do with the diffcore
+	library.
+
+BINARY, TEXT;;
+	Affects the way how a file that is seemingly binary is treated.
+
+FULL_INDEX;;
+	Tells the patch output format not to use abbreviated object
+	names on the "index" lines.
+
+FIND_COPIES_HARDER;;
+	Tells the diffcore library that the caller is feeding unchanged
+	filepairs to allow copies from unmodified files be detected.
+
+COLOR_DIFF;;
+	Output should be colored.
+
+COLOR_DIFF_WORDS;;
+	Output is a colored word-diff.
+
+NO_INDEX;;
+	Tells diff-files that the input is not tracked files but files
+	in random locations on the filesystem.
+
+ALLOW_EXTERNAL;;
+	Tells output routine that it is Ok to call user specified patch
+	output routine.  Plumbing disables this to ensure stable output.
+
+QUIET;;
+	Do not show any output.
+
+REVERSE_DIFF;;
+	Tells the library that the calling program is feeding the
+	filepairs reversed; `one` is two, and `two` is one.
+
+EXIT_WITH_STATUS;;
+	For communication between the calling program and the options
+	parser; tell the calling program to signal the presence of
+	difference using program exit code.
+
+HAS_CHANGES;;
+	Internal; used for optimization to see if there is any change.
+
+SILENT_ON_REMOVE;;
+	Affects if diff-files shows removed files.
+
+RECURSIVE, TREE_IN_RECURSIVE;;
+	Tells if tree traversal done by tree-diff should recursively
+	descend into a tree object pair that are different in preimage
+	and postimage set.
+
+(JC)