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 [<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, 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]. + If exactly two paths are given and at least one points outside the current repository, 'git diff' will compare the two files / directories. This behavior can be forced by --no-index. '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. If HEAD does not exist (e.g. unborned branches) and <commit> is not given, it shows all staged changes. --staged is a synonym of --cached. '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 is to view the changes between two arbitrary <commit>. 'git diff' [options] <blob> <blob>:: This form is to view the differences between the raw contents of two blob objects. '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 noted that all of the <commit> in the above description, except in the last two forms that use ".." notations, can be any <tree>. 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]. OPTIONS ------- :git-diff: 1 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). include::diff-format.txt[] 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. 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 nor 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. SEE ALSO -------- diff(1), linkgit:git-difftool[1], linkgit:git-log[1], linkgit:gitdiffcore[7], linkgit:git-format-patch[1], linkgit:git-apply[1] GIT --- Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite