SYNOPSIS
--------
-'git
-diff' [<common diff options>] <commit>{0,2} [--] [<path>...]
+'git
diff' [<common diff options>] <commit>{0,2} [--] [<path>...]
DESCRIPTION
-----------
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>...]::
+'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
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 is untracked,
-compare the two files / directories. This behavior can be
-forced by --no-index.
+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>...]::
+'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.
+ --staged is a synonym of --cached.
-'git
-diff' [--options] <commit> [--] [<path>...]::
+'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
branch name to compare with the tip of a different
branch.
-'git
-diff' [--options] <commit> <commit> [--] [<path>...]::
+'git
diff' [--options] <commit> <commit> [--] [<path>...]::
This is to view the changes between two arbitrary
<commit>.
-'git
-diff' [--options] <commit>..<commit> [--] [<path>...]::
+'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>...]::
+'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 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
-for the last two forms that use ".." notations, can be any
-<tree-ish>.
+in the last two forms that use ".." notations, can be any
+<tree>. The third form ('git diff <commit> <commit>') can also
+be used to compare two <blob> objects.
For a more complete list of ways to spell <commit>, see
-"SPECIFYING REVISIONS" section in linkgit:git-rev-parse[1].
+"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:git-rev-parse[1].
+"SPECIFYING RANGES" section in linkgit:gitrevisions[7].
OPTIONS
-------
the diff to the named paths (you can give directory
names and get diff for all files under them).
-Output format
--------------
+
include::diff-format.txt[]
EXAMPLES
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]
Author
------