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DIFF(1)				 User Commands			       DIFF(1)

NAME
       diff - compare files line by line

SYNOPSIS
       diff [OPTION]...	FILES

DESCRIPTION
       Compare files line by line.

       -i  --ignore-case
	      Ignore case differences in file contents.

       --ignore-file-name-case
	      Ignore case when comparing file names.

       --no-ignore-file-name-case
	      Consider case when comparing file	names.

       -E  --ignore-tab-expansion
	      Ignore changes due to tab	expansion.

       -b  --ignore-space-change
	      Ignore changes in	the amount of white space.

       -w  --ignore-all-space
	      Ignore all white space.

       -B  --ignore-blank-lines
	      Ignore changes whose lines are all blank.

       -I RE  --ignore-matching-lines=RE
	      Ignore changes whose lines all match RE.

       --strip-trailing-cr
	      Strip trailing carriage return on	input.

       -a  --text
	      Treat all	files as text.

       -c  -C NUM  --context[=NUM]
	      Output NUM (default 3) lines of copied context.

       -u  -U NUM  --unified[=NUM]
	      Output NUM (default 3) lines of unified context.

       --label LABEL
	      Use LABEL	instead	of file	name.

       -p  --show-c-function
	      Show which C function each change	is in.

       -F RE  --show-function-line=RE
	      Show the most recent line	matching RE.

       -q  --brief
	      Output only whether files	differ.

       -e  --ed
	      Output an	ed script.

       --normal
	      Output a normal diff.

       -n  --rcs
	      Output an	RCS format diff.

       -y  --side-by-side
	      Output in	two columns.

       -W NUM  --width=NUM
	      Output at	most NUM (default 130) print columns.

       --left-column
	      Output only the left column of common lines.

       --suppress-common-lines
	      Do not output common lines.

       -D NAME	--ifdef=NAME
	      Output merged file to show `#ifdef NAME' diffs.

       --GTYPE-group-format=GFMT
	      Similar, but format GTYPE	input groups with GFMT.

       --line-format=LFMT
	      Similar, but format all input lines with LFMT.

       --LTYPE-line-format=LFMT
	      Similar, but format LTYPE	input lines with LFMT.

       LTYPE is	`old', `new', or `unchanged'.
	      GTYPE is LTYPE or	`changed'.

	      GFMT may contain:

       %<     lines from FILE1

       %>     lines from FILE2

       %=     lines common to FILE1 and	FILE2

       %[-][WIDTH][.[PREC]]{doxX}LETTER
	      printf-style spec	for LETTER

	      LETTERs are as follows for new group, lower case for old group:

       F      first line number

       L      last line	number

       N      number of	lines =	L-F+1

       E      F-1

       M      L+1

	      LFMT may contain:

       %L     contents of line

       %l     contents of line,	excluding any trailing newline

       %[-][WIDTH][.[PREC]]{doxX}n
	      printf-style spec	for input line number

	      Either GFMT or LFMT may contain:

       %%     %

       %c'C'  the single character C

       %c'\OOO'
	      the character with octal code OOO

       -l  --paginate
	      Pass the output through `pr' to paginate it.

       -t  --expand-tabs
	      Expand tabs to spaces in output.

       -T  --initial-tab
	      Make tabs	line up	by prepending a	tab.

       --tabsize=NUM
	      Tab stops	are every NUM (default 8) print	columns.

       -r  --recursive
	      Recursively compare any subdirectories found.

       -N  --new-file
	      Treat absent files as empty.

       --unidirectional-new-file
	      Treat absent first files as empty.

       -s  --report-identical-files
	      Report when two files are	the same.

       -x PAT  --exclude=PAT
	      Exclude files that match PAT.

       -X FILE	--exclude-from=FILE
	      Exclude files that match any pattern in FILE.

       -S FILE	--starting-file=FILE
	      Start with FILE when comparing directories.

       --from-file=FILE1
	      Compare FILE1 to all operands.  FILE1 can	be a directory.

       --to-file=FILE2
	      Compare all operands to FILE2.  FILE2 can	be a directory.

       --horizon-lines=NUM
	      Keep NUM lines of	the common prefix and suffix.

       -d  --minimal
	      Try hard to find a smaller set of	changes.

       --speed-large-files
	      Assume large files and many scattered small changes.

       -v  --version
	      Output version info.

       --help Output this help.

       FILES  are  `FILE1  FILE2'  or `DIR1 DIR2' or `DIR FILE...' or `FILE...
       DIR'.  If --from-file or	--to-file is given, there are no  restrictions
       on  FILES.  If a	FILE is	`-', read standard input.  Exit	status is 0 if
       inputs are the same, 1 if different, 2 if trouble.

AUTHOR
       Written by Paul Eggert, Mike Haertel, David  Hayes,  Richard  Stallman,
       and Len Tower.

REPORTING BUGS
       Report bugs to <bug-gnu-utils@gnu.org>.

COPYRIGHT
       Copyright (C) 2004 Free Software	Foundation, Inc.
       This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.  There is
       NO warranty; not	even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR	 A  PARTICULAR
       PURPOSE.

SEE ALSO
       The  full documentation for diff	is maintained as a Texinfo manual.  If
       the info	and diff programs are properly installed  at  your  site,  the
       command

	      info diff

       should give you access to the complete manual.

diffutils 2.8.7			  April	2004			       DIFF(1)
NAME | SYNOPSIS | DESCRIPTION | AUTHOR | REPORTING BUGS | COPYRIGHT | SEE ALSO

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