diff

NAME

diff - Windows command-line utility to give the differences of two files

SYNOPSIS

diff [-c | -e | -f | -C n] [-b] [-r] file1 file2

DESCRIPTION

The diff(1w) utility compares the contents of file1 and file2 and writes a list of changes necessary to convert file1 into file2 to the standard output. No output is produced if the files are identical.

The diff utility supports the following options:

-b
Causes any amount of white space at the end of a line to be treated as a single newline character (that is, the white-space characters preceding the newline character are ignored); the other strings of white-space characters, except newline characters, compare as equal.
-c
Produces output in a form that provides three lines of context.
-C
Produces output in a form that provides n lines of context (where n is interpreted as a positive decimal integer).
-e
Produces output in a form suitable as input for the ed utility, which can be used to convert file1 into file2.
-f
Produces output in an alternative form, similar in format to the -e option, but unsuitable as input for the ed utility, and in the opposite order.
-r
Applies diff recursively to files and directories of the same name when file1 and file2 are both directories.

DIAGNOSTICS

Possible exit-status values are:

0
Successful completion
1
Failure

SEE ALSO

sdiff(1w)