NAME
----
-git-diff - Some git command not yet documented.
+git-diff - Show changes between commits, commit and working tree, etc
SYNOPSIS
--------
-'git-diff' [ --option ] <args>...
+'git-diff' [ --diff-options ] <commit>{0,2} [--] [<path>...]
DESCRIPTION
-----------
-Does something not yet documented.
+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>.
OPTIONS
-------
---option::
- Some option not yet documented.
+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.
-<args>...::
- Some argument not yet documented.
+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
GIT
---
-Part of the link:git.html[git] suite
+Part of the gitlink:git[7] suite