# sdiff - side-by-side merge of file differences - man(1) - [phpMan]

> **TLDR:** Compare the differences between and optionally merge 2 files.
>
- Compare 2 files:
  `sdiff {{path/to/file1}} {{path/to/file2}}`
- Compare 2 files, ignoring all tabs and whitespace:
  `sdiff {{-W|--ignore-all-space}} {{path/to/file1}} {{path/to/file2}}`
- Compare 2 files, ignoring whitespace at the end of lines:
  `sdiff {{-Z|--ignore-trailing-space}} {{path/to/file1}} {{path/to/file2}}`
- Compare 2 files in a case-insensitive manner:
  `sdiff {{-i|--ignore-case}} {{path/to/file1}} {{path/to/file2}}`
- Compare and then merge, writing the output to a new file:
  `sdiff {{-o|--output}} {{path/to/merged_file}} {{path/to/file1}} {{path/to/file2}}`

*Source: tldr-pages*

---

[_SDIFF_(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/SDIFF/1/markdown)                                    User Commands                                   [_SDIFF_(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/SDIFF/1/markdown)

## NAME
       sdiff - side-by-side merge of file differences

## SYNOPSIS
       **sdiff **[_OPTION_]... _FILE1_ _FILE2_

## DESCRIPTION
       Side-by-side merge of differences between FILE1 and FILE2.

       Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.

### -o --output
              operate interactively, sending output to FILE

### -i --ignore-case
              consider upper- and lower-case to be the same

### -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 whose lines are all blank

### -I --ignore-matching-lines
              ignore changes all whose lines match RE

### --strip-trailing-cr
              strip trailing carriage return on input

### -a --text
              treat all files as text

### -w --width
              output at most NUM (default 130) print columns

### -l --left-column
              output only the left column of common lines

### -s --suppress-common-lines
              do not output common lines

### -t --expand-tabs
              expand tabs to spaces in output

       **--tabsize**=_NUM_
              tab stops at every NUM (default 8) print columns

### -d --minimal
              try hard to find a smaller set of changes

### -H --speed-large-files
              assume large files, many scattered small changes

       **--diff-program**=_PROGRAM_
              use PROGRAM to compare files

       **--help **display this help and exit

### -v --version
              output version information and exit

       If a FILE is '-', read standard input.  Exit status is 0 if inputs are the same, 1 if differ‐
       ent, 2 if trouble.

## AUTHOR
       Written by Thomas Lord.

## REPORTING BUGS
       Report bugs to: <bug-diffutils@gnu.org>
       GNU diffutils home page: <<https://www.gnu.org/software/diffutils/>>
       General help using GNU software: <<https://www.gnu.org/gethelp/>>

## COPYRIGHT
       Copyright  ©  2023 Free Software Foundation, Inc.  License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later
       <<https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>>.
       This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.  There is NO WARRANTY,  to
       the extent permitted by law.

## SEE ALSO
       [**cmp**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/cmp/1/markdown), [**diff**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/diff/1/markdown), [**diff3**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/diff3/1/markdown)

       The  full  documentation  for **sdiff **is maintained as a Texinfo manual.  If the **info **and **sdiff**
       programs are properly installed at your site, the command

              **info sdiff**

       should give you access to the complete manual.

diffutils 3.10                                May 2023                                      [_SDIFF_(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/SDIFF/1/markdown)