git-diff(1) =========== NAME ---- git-diff - Show changes between commits, commit and working tree, etc SYNOPSIS -------- 'git-diff' [ --diff-options ] <commit>{0,2} [--] [<path>...] DESCRIPTION ----------- Show changes between two trees, a tree and the working tree, a tree and the index file, or the index file and the working tree. '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 gitlink:git-add[1]. 'git-diff' [--options] --cached [<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. 'git-diff' [--options] <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. 'git-diff' [--options] <commit> <commit> [--] [<path>...]:: This form is to view the changes between two <commit>, for example, tips of two branches. 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>. For a more complete list of ways to spell <commit>, see "SPECIFYING REVISIONS" section in gitlink:git-rev-parse[1]. OPTIONS ------- include::diff-options.txt[] <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). EXAMPLES -------- Various ways to check your working tree:: + ------------ $ git diff <1> $ git diff --cached <2> $ git diff HEAD <3> ------------ + <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" 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. Limiting the diff output:: + ------------ $ git diff --diff-filter=MRC <1> $ git diff --name-status -r <2> $ git diff arch/i386 include/asm-i386 <3> ------------ + <1> show only modification, rename and copy, but not addition nor deletion. <2> show only names and the nature of change, but not actual diff output. --name-status disables usual patch generation which in turn also disables recursive behavior, so without -r you would only see the directory name if there is a change in a file in a subdirectory. <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. Author ------ Written by Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org> Documentation -------------- Documentation by Junio C Hamano and the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>. GIT --- Part of the gitlink:git[7] suite