# diff - compare files line by line - man(1) - [phpMan] > **TLDR:** Compare files and directories. > - Compare files (lists changes to turn `old_file` into `new_file`): `diff {{path/to/old_file}} {{path/to/new_file}}` - Compare files, ignoring white spaces: `diff {{-w|--ignore-all-space}} {{path/to/old_file}} {{path/to/new_file}}` - Compare files, showing the differences side by side: `diff {{-y|--side-by-side}} {{path/to/old_file}} {{path/to/new_file}}` - Compare files, showing the differences in unified format (as used by `git diff`): `diff {{-u|--unified}} {{path/to/old_file}} {{path/to/new_file}}` - Compare directories recursively (shows names for differing files/directories as well as changes made to files): `diff {{-r|--recursive}} {{path/to/old_directory}} {{path/to/new_directory}}` - Compare directories, only showing the names of files that differ: `diff {{-r|--recursive}} {{-q|--brief}} {{path/to/old_directory}} {{path/to/new_directory}}` - Create a patch file for Git from the differences of two text files, treating nonexistent files as empty: `diff {{-a|--text}} {{-u|--unified}} {{-N|--new-file}} {{path/to/old_file}} {{path/to/new_file}} > {{path/to/diff.patch}}` - Compare files, showing output in color, trying hard to find the smallest set of changes: `diff {{-d|--minimal}} --color=always {{path/to/old_file}} {{path/to/new_file}}` *Source: tldr-pages* --- [_DIFF_(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/DIFF/1/markdown) User Commands [_DIFF_(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/DIFF/1/markdown) ## NAME diff - compare files line by line ## SYNOPSIS **diff **[_OPTION_]... _FILES_ ## DESCRIPTION Compare FILES line by line. Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too. ### --normal output a normal diff (the default) ### -q --brief report only when files differ ### -s --report-identical-files report when two files are the same ### -c -C --context output NUM (default 3) lines of copied context ### -u -U --unified output NUM (default 3) lines of unified context ### -e --ed output an ed script ### -n --rcs output an RCS format diff ### -y --side-by-side output in two columns ### -W --width output at most NUM (default 130) print columns ### --left-column output only the left column of common lines ### --suppress-common-lines do not output common lines ### -p --show-c-function show which C function each change is in ### -F --show-function-line show the most recent line matching RE **--label **LABEL use LABEL instead of file name and timestamp (can be repeated) ### -t --expand-tabs expand tabs to spaces in output ### -T --initial-tab make tabs line up by prepending a tab **--tabsize**=_NUM_ tab stops every NUM (default 8) print columns ### --suppress-blank-empty suppress space or tab before empty output lines ### -l --paginate pass output through 'pr' to paginate it ### -r --recursive recursively compare any subdirectories found ### --no-dereference don't follow symbolic links ### -N --new-file treat absent files as empty ### --unidirectional-new-file treat absent first files as empty ### --ignore-file-name-case ignore case when comparing file names ### --no-ignore-file-name-case consider case when comparing file names ### -x --exclude exclude files that match PAT ### -X --exclude-from exclude files that match any pattern in FILE ### -S --starting-file start with FILE when comparing directories **--from-file**=_FILE1_ compare FILE1 to all operands; FILE1 can be a directory **--to-file**=_FILE2_ compare all operands to FILE2; FILE2 can be a directory ### -i --ignore-case ignore case differences in file contents ### -E --ignore-tab-expansion ignore changes due to tab expansion ### -Z --ignore-trailing-space ignore white space at line end ### -b --ignore-space-change ignore changes in the amount of white space ### -w --ignore-all-space ignore all white space ### -B --ignore-blank-lines ignore changes where lines are all blank ### -I --ignore-matching-lines ignore changes where all lines match RE ### -a --text treat all files as text ### --strip-trailing-cr strip trailing carriage return on input ### -D --ifdef output merged file with '#ifdef NAME' diffs **--GTYPE-group-format**=_GFMT_ format GTYPE input groups with GFMT **--line-format**=_LFMT_ format all input lines with LFMT **--LTYPE-line-format**=_LFMT_ format LTYPE input lines with LFMT These format options provide fine-grained control over the output of diff, generalizing **-D**/--ifdef. LTYPE is 'old', 'new', or 'unchanged'. GTYPE is LTYPE or 'changed'. GFMT (only) may contain: %< lines from FILE1 %> lines from FILE2 %= lines common to FILE1 and FILE2 %[-][WIDTH][.[PREC]]{doxX}LETTER printf-style spec for LETTER LETTERs are as follows for new group, lower case for old group: F first line number L last line number N number of lines = L-F+1 E F-1 M L+1 %(A=B?T:E) if A equals B then T else E LFMT (only) may contain: %L contents of line %l contents of line, excluding any trailing newline %[-][WIDTH][.[PREC]]{doxX}n printf-style spec for input line number Both GFMT and LFMT may contain: %% % %c'C' the single character C %c'\OOO' the character with octal code OOO C the character C (other characters represent themselves) ### -d --minimal try hard to find a smaller set of changes **--horizon-lines**=_NUM_ keep NUM lines of the common prefix and suffix ### --speed-large-files assume large files and many scattered small changes **--color**[=_WHEN_] color output; WHEN is 'never', 'always', or 'auto'; plain **--color **means **--color=**'auto' **--palette**=_PALETTE_ the colors to use when **--color **is active; PALETTE is a colon-separated list of ter‐ minfo capabilities **--help **display this help and exit ### -v --version output version information and exit FILES are 'FILE1 FILE2' or 'DIR1 DIR2' or 'DIR FILE' or 'FILE DIR'. If **--from-file **or **--to-file **is given, there are no restrictions on FILE(s). If a FILE is '-', read standard input. Exit status is 0 if inputs are the same, 1 if different, 2 if trouble. ## AUTHOR Written by Paul Eggert, Mike Haertel, David Hayes, Richard Stallman, and Len Tower. ## REPORTING BUGS Report bugs to: GNU diffutils home page: <> General help using GNU software: <> ## COPYRIGHT Copyright © 2023 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <>. This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law. ## SEE ALSO [**wdiff**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/wdiff/1/markdown), [**cmp**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/cmp/1/markdown), [**diff3**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/diff3/1/markdown), [**sdiff**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/sdiff/1/markdown), [**patch**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/patch/1/markdown) The full documentation for **diff **is maintained as a Texinfo manual. If the **info **and **diff **pro‐ grams are properly installed at your site, the command **info diff** should give you access to the complete manual. diffutils 3.10 May 2023 [_DIFF_(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/DIFF/1/markdown)