SYNOPSIS
--------
-'git-diff' [
--diff-options ] <tree-ish>{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.
-The combination of what is compared with what is determined by
-the number of trees given to the command.
-* When no <tree-ish> is given, the working tree and the index
- file are compared, using `git-diff-files`.
+'git-diff' [--options] [--] [<path>...]::
-* When one <tree-ish> is given, the working tree and the named
- tree are compared, using `git-diff-index`. The option
- `--index` can be given to compare the index file and
- the named tree.
- `--cached` is a deprecated alias for `--index`. It's use is
- discouraged.
+ 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 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.
+
+'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 is to view the changes between two arbitrary
+ <commit>.
+
+'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.
-* When two <tree-ish>s are given, these two trees are compared
- using `git-diff-tree`.
+'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 <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>.
+
+For a more complete list of ways to spell <commit>, see
+"SPECIFYING REVISIONS" section in linkgit:git-rev-parse[1].
+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].
OPTIONS
-------
---diff-options::
- '--diff-options' are passed to the `git-diff-files`,
- `git-diff-index`, and `git-diff-tree` commands. See the
- documentation for these commands for description.
+:git-diff: 1
+include::diff-options.txt[]
<path>...::
- The <path> arguments are also passed to `git-diff-\*`
- commands.
+ 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).
+Output format
+-------------
+include::diff-format.txt[]
EXAMPLES
--------
+
------------
$ git diff <1>
-$ git diff --index <2>
+$ git diff --cached <2>
$ git diff HEAD <3>
------------
+
-<1> changes in the working tree since your last git-update-index.
-<2> changes between the index and your last commit; what you
+<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
+<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 HEAD^ HEAD <3>
------------
+
-<1> instead of using the tip of the current branch, compare with the
+<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
+<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.
+<3> Compare the version before the last commit and the last commit.
+Comparing branches::
++
+------------
+$ git diff topic master <1>
+$ git diff topic..master <2>
+$ git diff topic...master <3>
+------------
++
+<1> Changes between the tips of the topic and the master branches.
+<2> Same as above.
+<3> Changes that occurred on the master branch since when the topic
+branch was started off it.
Limiting the diff output::
+
------------
$ git diff --diff-filter=MRC <1>
-$ git diff --name-status -r <2>
+$ git diff --name-status <2>
$ git diff arch/i386 include/asm-i386 <3>
------------
+
-<1> show only modification, rename and copy, but not addition
+<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.
+<2> Show only names and the nature of change, but not actual
+diff output.
+<3> Limit diff output to named subtrees.
Munging the diff output::
+
$ git diff -R <2>
------------
+
-<1> spend extra cycles to find renames, copies and complete
+<1> Spend extra cycles to find renames, copies and complete
rewrites (very expensive).
-<2> output diff in reverse.
+<2> Output diff in reverse.
Author
GIT
---
-Part of the gitlink:git[7] suite
-
+Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite