-The output format from "git-diff-index", "git-diff-tree",
+Raw output format
+-----------------
+
+The raw output format from "git-diff-index", "git-diff-tree",
"git-diff-files" and "git diff --raw" are very similar.
These commands all compare two sets of things; what is
git-diff-files [<pattern>...]::
compares the index and the files on the filesystem.
+The "git-diff-tree" command begins its output by printing the hash of
+what is being compared. After that, all the commands print one output
+line per changed file.
An output line is formatted this way:
. path for "dst"; only exists for C or R.
. an LF or a NUL when '-z' option is used, to terminate the record.
+Possible status letters are:
+
+- A: addition of a file
+- C: copy of a file into a new one
+- D: deletion of a file
+- M: modification of the contents or mode of a file
+- R: renaming of a file
+- T: change in the type of the file
+- U: file is unmerged (you must complete the merge before it can
+be committed)
+- X: "unknown" change type (most probably a bug, please report it)
+
+Status letters C and R are always followed by a score (denoting the
+percentage of similarity between the source and target of the move or
+copy), and are the only ones to be so.
+
<sha1> is shown as all 0's if a file is new on the filesystem
and it is out of sync with the index.
include::diff-generate-patch.txt[]
+
+
+other diff formats
+------------------
+
+The `--summary` option describes newly added, deleted, renamed and
+copied files. The `--stat` option adds diffstat(1) graph to the
+output. These options can be combined with other options, such as
+`-p`, and are meant for human consumption.
+
+When showing a change that involves a rename or a copy, `--stat` output
+formats the pathnames compactly by combining common prefix and suffix of
+the pathnames. For example, a change that moves `arch/i386/Makefile` to
+`arch/x86/Makefile` while modifying 4 lines will be shown like this:
+
+------------------------------------
+arch/{i386 => x86}/Makefile | 4 +--
+------------------------------------
+
+The `--numstat` option gives the diffstat(1) information but is designed
+for easier machine consumption. An entry in `--numstat` output looks
+like this:
+
+----------------------------------------
+1 2 README
+3 1 arch/{i386 => x86}/Makefile
+----------------------------------------
+
+That is, from left to right:
+
+. the number of added lines;
+. a tab;
+. the number of deleted lines;
+. a tab;
+. pathname (possibly with rename/copy information);
+. a newline.
+
+When `-z` output option is in effect, the output is formatted this way:
+
+----------------------------------------
+1 2 README NUL
+3 1 NUL arch/i386/Makefile NUL arch/x86/Makefile NUL
+----------------------------------------
+
+That is:
+
+. the number of added lines;
+. a tab;
+. the number of deleted lines;
+. a tab;
+. a NUL (only exists if renamed/copied);
+. pathname in preimage;
+. a NUL (only exists if renamed/copied);
+. pathname in postimage (only exists if renamed/copied);
+. a NUL.
+
+The extra `NUL` before the preimage path in renamed case is to allow
+scripts that read the output to tell if the current record being read is
+a single-path record or a rename/copy record without reading ahead.
+After reading added and deleted lines, reading up to `NUL` would yield
+the pathname, but if that is `NUL`, the record will show two paths.