1 // Please don't remove this comment as asciidoc behaves badly when
2 // the first non-empty line is ifdef/ifndef. The symptom is that
3 // without this comment the <git-diff-core> attribute conditionally
4 // defined below ends up being defined unconditionally.
5 // Last checked with asciidoc 7.0.2.
7 ifndef::git-format-patch[]
13 endif::git-format-patch[]
15 ifdef::git-format-patch[]
18 Generate plain patches without any diffstats.
19 endif::git-format-patch[]
21 ifndef::git-format-patch[]
25 Generate patch (see section on generating patches).
32 Suppress diff output. Useful for commands like `git show` that
33 show the patch by default, or to cancel the effect of `--patch`.
34 endif::git-format-patch[]
38 Generate diffs with <n> lines of context instead of
40 ifndef::git-format-patch[]
42 endif::git-format-patch[]
44 ifndef::git-format-patch[]
47 Generate the diff in raw format.
48 ifdef::git-diff-core[]
50 endif::git-diff-core[]
53 For each commit, show a summary of changes using the raw diff
54 format. See the "RAW OUTPUT FORMAT" section of
55 linkgit:git-diff[1]. This is different from showing the log
56 itself in raw format, which you can achieve with
59 endif::git-format-patch[]
61 ifndef::git-format-patch[]
63 Synonym for `-p --raw`.
64 endif::git-format-patch[]
66 --compaction-heuristic::
67 --no-compaction-heuristic::
68 These are to help debugging and tuning an experimental
69 heuristic (which is off by default) that shifts the hunk
70 boundary in an attempt to make the resulting patch easier
74 Spend extra time to make sure the smallest possible
78 Generate a diff using the "patience diff" algorithm.
81 Generate a diff using the "histogram diff" algorithm.
83 --diff-algorithm={patience|minimal|histogram|myers}::
84 Choose a diff algorithm. The variants are as follows:
88 The basic greedy diff algorithm. Currently, this is the default.
90 Spend extra time to make sure the smallest possible diff is
93 Use "patience diff" algorithm when generating patches.
95 This algorithm extends the patience algorithm to "support
96 low-occurrence common elements".
99 For instance, if you configured diff.algorithm variable to a
100 non-default value and want to use the default one, then you
101 have to use `--diff-algorithm=default` option.
103 --stat[=<width>[,<name-width>[,<count>]]]::
104 Generate a diffstat. By default, as much space as necessary
105 will be used for the filename part, and the rest for the graph
106 part. Maximum width defaults to terminal width, or 80 columns
107 if not connected to a terminal, and can be overridden by
108 `<width>`. The width of the filename part can be limited by
109 giving another width `<name-width>` after a comma. The width
110 of the graph part can be limited by using
111 `--stat-graph-width=<width>` (affects all commands generating
112 a stat graph) or by setting `diff.statGraphWidth=<width>`
113 (does not affect `git format-patch`).
114 By giving a third parameter `<count>`, you can limit the
115 output to the first `<count>` lines, followed by `...` if
118 These parameters can also be set individually with `--stat-width=<width>`,
119 `--stat-name-width=<name-width>` and `--stat-count=<count>`.
122 Similar to `--stat`, but shows number of added and
123 deleted lines in decimal notation and pathname without
124 abbreviation, to make it more machine friendly. For
125 binary files, outputs two `-` instead of saying
129 Output only the last line of the `--stat` format containing total
130 number of modified files, as well as number of added and deleted
133 --dirstat[=<param1,param2,...>]::
134 Output the distribution of relative amount of changes for each
135 sub-directory. The behavior of `--dirstat` can be customized by
136 passing it a comma separated list of parameters.
137 The defaults are controlled by the `diff.dirstat` configuration
138 variable (see linkgit:git-config[1]).
139 The following parameters are available:
143 Compute the dirstat numbers by counting the lines that have been
144 removed from the source, or added to the destination. This ignores
145 the amount of pure code movements within a file. In other words,
146 rearranging lines in a file is not counted as much as other changes.
147 This is the default behavior when no parameter is given.
149 Compute the dirstat numbers by doing the regular line-based diff
150 analysis, and summing the removed/added line counts. (For binary
151 files, count 64-byte chunks instead, since binary files have no
152 natural concept of lines). This is a more expensive `--dirstat`
153 behavior than the `changes` behavior, but it does count rearranged
154 lines within a file as much as other changes. The resulting output
155 is consistent with what you get from the other `--*stat` options.
157 Compute the dirstat numbers by counting the number of files changed.
158 Each changed file counts equally in the dirstat analysis. This is
159 the computationally cheapest `--dirstat` behavior, since it does
160 not have to look at the file contents at all.
162 Count changes in a child directory for the parent directory as well.
163 Note that when using `cumulative`, the sum of the percentages
164 reported may exceed 100%. The default (non-cumulative) behavior can
165 be specified with the `noncumulative` parameter.
167 An integer parameter specifies a cut-off percent (3% by default).
168 Directories contributing less than this percentage of the changes
169 are not shown in the output.
172 Example: The following will count changed files, while ignoring
173 directories with less than 10% of the total amount of changed files,
174 and accumulating child directory counts in the parent directories:
175 `--dirstat=files,10,cumulative`.
178 Output a condensed summary of extended header information
179 such as creations, renames and mode changes.
181 ifndef::git-format-patch[]
183 Synonym for `-p --stat`.
184 endif::git-format-patch[]
186 ifndef::git-format-patch[]
190 Separate the commits with NULs instead of with new newlines.
192 Also, when `--raw` or `--numstat` has been given, do not munge
193 pathnames and use NULs as output field terminators.
196 When `--raw`, `--numstat`, `--name-only` or `--name-status` has been
197 given, do not munge pathnames and use NULs as output field terminators.
200 Without this option, each pathname output will have TAB, LF, double quotes,
201 and backslash characters replaced with `\t`, `\n`, `\"`, and `\\`,
202 respectively, and the pathname will be enclosed in double quotes if
203 any of those replacements occurred.
206 Show only names of changed files.
209 Show only names and status of changed files. See the description
210 of the `--diff-filter` option on what the status letters mean.
212 --submodule[=<format>]::
213 Specify how differences in submodules are shown. When specifying
214 `--submodule=short` the 'short' format is used. This format just
215 shows the names of the commits at the beginning and end of the range.
216 When `--submodule` or `--submodule=log` is specified, the 'log'
217 format is used. This format lists the commits in the range like
218 linkgit:git-submodule[1] `summary` does. When `--submodule=diff`
219 is specified, the 'diff' format is used. This format shows an
220 inline diff of the changes in the submodule contents between the
221 commit range. Defaults to `diff.submodule` or the 'short' format
222 if the config option is unset.
226 `--color` (i.e. without '=<when>') is the same as `--color=always`.
227 '<when>' can be one of `always`, `never`, or `auto`.
229 It can be changed by the `color.ui` and `color.diff`
230 configuration settings.
234 Turn off colored diff.
236 This can be used to override configuration settings.
238 It is the same as `--color=never`.
240 --word-diff[=<mode>]::
241 Show a word diff, using the <mode> to delimit changed words.
242 By default, words are delimited by whitespace; see
243 `--word-diff-regex` below. The <mode> defaults to 'plain', and
248 Highlight changed words using only colors. Implies `--color`.
250 Show words as `[-removed-]` and `{+added+}`. Makes no
251 attempts to escape the delimiters if they appear in the input,
252 so the output may be ambiguous.
254 Use a special line-based format intended for script
255 consumption. Added/removed/unchanged runs are printed in the
256 usual unified diff format, starting with a `+`/`-`/` `
257 character at the beginning of the line and extending to the
258 end of the line. Newlines in the input are represented by a
259 tilde `~` on a line of its own.
261 Disable word diff again.
264 Note that despite the name of the first mode, color is used to
265 highlight the changed parts in all modes if enabled.
267 --word-diff-regex=<regex>::
268 Use <regex> to decide what a word is, instead of considering
269 runs of non-whitespace to be a word. Also implies
270 `--word-diff` unless it was already enabled.
272 Every non-overlapping match of the
273 <regex> is considered a word. Anything between these matches is
274 considered whitespace and ignored(!) for the purposes of finding
275 differences. You may want to append `|[^[:space:]]` to your regular
276 expression to make sure that it matches all non-whitespace characters.
277 A match that contains a newline is silently truncated(!) at the
280 For example, `--word-diff-regex=.` will treat each character as a word
281 and, correspondingly, show differences character by character.
283 The regex can also be set via a diff driver or configuration option, see
284 linkgit:gitattributes[5] or linkgit:git-config[1]. Giving it explicitly
285 overrides any diff driver or configuration setting. Diff drivers
286 override configuration settings.
288 --color-words[=<regex>]::
289 Equivalent to `--word-diff=color` plus (if a regex was
290 specified) `--word-diff-regex=<regex>`.
291 endif::git-format-patch[]
294 Turn off rename detection, even when the configuration
295 file gives the default to do so.
297 ifndef::git-format-patch[]
299 Warn if changes introduce conflict markers or whitespace errors.
300 What are considered whitespace errors is controlled by `core.whitespace`
301 configuration. By default, trailing whitespaces (including
302 lines that solely consist of whitespaces) and a space character
303 that is immediately followed by a tab character inside the
304 initial indent of the line are considered whitespace errors.
305 Exits with non-zero status if problems are found. Not compatible
308 --ws-error-highlight=<kind>::
309 Highlight whitespace errors on lines specified by <kind>
310 in the color specified by `color.diff.whitespace`. <kind>
311 is a comma separated list of `old`, `new`, `context`. When
312 this option is not given, only whitespace errors in `new`
313 lines are highlighted. E.g. `--ws-error-highlight=new,old`
314 highlights whitespace errors on both deleted and added lines.
315 `all` can be used as a short-hand for `old,new,context`.
317 endif::git-format-patch[]
320 Instead of the first handful of characters, show the full
321 pre- and post-image blob object names on the "index"
322 line when generating patch format output.
325 In addition to `--full-index`, output a binary diff that
326 can be applied with `git-apply`.
329 Instead of showing the full 40-byte hexadecimal object
330 name in diff-raw format output and diff-tree header
331 lines, show only a partial prefix. This is
332 independent of the `--full-index` option above, which controls
333 the diff-patch output format. Non default number of
334 digits can be specified with `--abbrev=<n>`.
337 --break-rewrites[=[<n>][/<m>]]::
338 Break complete rewrite changes into pairs of delete and
339 create. This serves two purposes:
341 It affects the way a change that amounts to a total rewrite of a file
342 not as a series of deletion and insertion mixed together with a very
343 few lines that happen to match textually as the context, but as a
344 single deletion of everything old followed by a single insertion of
345 everything new, and the number `m` controls this aspect of the -B
346 option (defaults to 60%). `-B/70%` specifies that less than 30% of the
347 original should remain in the result for Git to consider it a total
348 rewrite (i.e. otherwise the resulting patch will be a series of
349 deletion and insertion mixed together with context lines).
351 When used with -M, a totally-rewritten file is also considered as the
352 source of a rename (usually -M only considers a file that disappeared
353 as the source of a rename), and the number `n` controls this aspect of
354 the -B option (defaults to 50%). `-B20%` specifies that a change with
355 addition and deletion compared to 20% or more of the file's size are
356 eligible for being picked up as a possible source of a rename to
360 --find-renames[=<n>]::
365 If generating diffs, detect and report renames for each commit.
366 For following files across renames while traversing history, see
369 If `n` is specified, it is a threshold on the similarity
370 index (i.e. amount of addition/deletions compared to the
371 file's size). For example, `-M90%` means Git should consider a
372 delete/add pair to be a rename if more than 90% of the file
373 hasn't changed. Without a `%` sign, the number is to be read as
374 a fraction, with a decimal point before it. I.e., `-M5` becomes
375 0.5, and is thus the same as `-M50%`. Similarly, `-M05` is
376 the same as `-M5%`. To limit detection to exact renames, use
377 `-M100%`. The default similarity index is 50%.
380 --find-copies[=<n>]::
381 Detect copies as well as renames. See also `--find-copies-harder`.
382 If `n` is specified, it has the same meaning as for `-M<n>`.
384 --find-copies-harder::
385 For performance reasons, by default, `-C` option finds copies only
386 if the original file of the copy was modified in the same
387 changeset. This flag makes the command
388 inspect unmodified files as candidates for the source of
389 copy. This is a very expensive operation for large
390 projects, so use it with caution. Giving more than one
391 `-C` option has the same effect.
394 --irreversible-delete::
395 Omit the preimage for deletes, i.e. print only the header but not
396 the diff between the preimage and `/dev/null`. The resulting patch
397 is not meant to be applied with `patch` or `git apply`; this is
398 solely for people who want to just concentrate on reviewing the
399 text after the change. In addition, the output obviously lack
400 enough information to apply such a patch in reverse, even manually,
401 hence the name of the option.
403 When used together with `-B`, omit also the preimage in the deletion part
404 of a delete/create pair.
407 The `-M` and `-C` options require O(n^2) processing time where n
408 is the number of potential rename/copy targets. This
409 option prevents rename/copy detection from running if
410 the number of rename/copy targets exceeds the specified
413 ifndef::git-format-patch[]
414 --diff-filter=[(A|C|D|M|R|T|U|X|B)...[*]]::
415 Select only files that are Added (`A`), Copied (`C`),
416 Deleted (`D`), Modified (`M`), Renamed (`R`), have their
417 type (i.e. regular file, symlink, submodule, ...) changed (`T`),
418 are Unmerged (`U`), are
419 Unknown (`X`), or have had their pairing Broken (`B`).
420 Any combination of the filter characters (including none) can be used.
421 When `*` (All-or-none) is added to the combination, all
422 paths are selected if there is any file that matches
423 other criteria in the comparison; if there is no file
424 that matches other criteria, nothing is selected.
426 Also, these upper-case letters can be downcased to exclude. E.g.
427 `--diff-filter=ad` excludes added and deleted paths.
430 Look for differences that change the number of occurrences of
431 the specified string (i.e. addition/deletion) in a file.
432 Intended for the scripter's use.
434 It is useful when you're looking for an exact block of code (like a
435 struct), and want to know the history of that block since it first
436 came into being: use the feature iteratively to feed the interesting
437 block in the preimage back into `-S`, and keep going until you get the
438 very first version of the block.
441 Look for differences whose patch text contains added/removed
442 lines that match <regex>.
444 To illustrate the difference between `-S<regex> --pickaxe-regex` and
445 `-G<regex>`, consider a commit with the following diff in the same
449 + return !regexec(regexp, two->ptr, 1, ®match, 0);
451 - hit = !regexec(regexp, mf2.ptr, 1, ®match, 0);
454 While `git log -G"regexec\(regexp"` will show this commit, `git log
455 -S"regexec\(regexp" --pickaxe-regex` will not (because the number of
456 occurrences of that string did not change).
458 See the 'pickaxe' entry in linkgit:gitdiffcore[7] for more
462 When `-S` or `-G` finds a change, show all the changes in that
463 changeset, not just the files that contain the change
467 Treat the <string> given to `-S` as an extended POSIX regular
469 endif::git-format-patch[]
472 Output the patch in the order specified in the
473 <orderfile>, which has one shell glob pattern per line.
474 This overrides the `diff.orderFile` configuration variable
475 (see linkgit:git-config[1]). To cancel `diff.orderFile`,
478 ifndef::git-format-patch[]
480 Swap two inputs; that is, show differences from index or
481 on-disk file to tree contents.
483 --relative[=<path>]::
484 When run from a subdirectory of the project, it can be
485 told to exclude changes outside the directory and show
486 pathnames relative to it with this option. When you are
487 not in a subdirectory (e.g. in a bare repository), you
488 can name which subdirectory to make the output relative
489 to by giving a <path> as an argument.
490 endif::git-format-patch[]
494 Treat all files as text.
496 --ignore-space-at-eol::
497 Ignore changes in whitespace at EOL.
500 --ignore-space-change::
501 Ignore changes in amount of whitespace. This ignores whitespace
502 at line end, and considers all other sequences of one or
503 more whitespace characters to be equivalent.
507 Ignore whitespace when comparing lines. This ignores
508 differences even if one line has whitespace where the other
511 --ignore-blank-lines::
512 Ignore changes whose lines are all blank.
514 --inter-hunk-context=<lines>::
515 Show the context between diff hunks, up to the specified number
516 of lines, thereby fusing hunks that are close to each other.
520 Show whole surrounding functions of changes.
522 ifndef::git-format-patch[]
525 Make the program exit with codes similar to diff(1).
526 That is, it exits with 1 if there were differences and
527 0 means no differences.
530 Disable all output of the program. Implies `--exit-code`.
532 endif::git-format-patch[]
535 Allow an external diff helper to be executed. If you set an
536 external diff driver with linkgit:gitattributes[5], you need
537 to use this option with linkgit:git-log[1] and friends.
540 Disallow external diff drivers.
544 Allow (or disallow) external text conversion filters to be run
545 when comparing binary files. See linkgit:gitattributes[5] for
546 details. Because textconv filters are typically a one-way
547 conversion, the resulting diff is suitable for human
548 consumption, but cannot be applied. For this reason, textconv
549 filters are enabled by default only for linkgit:git-diff[1] and
550 linkgit:git-log[1], but not for linkgit:git-format-patch[1] or
551 diff plumbing commands.
553 --ignore-submodules[=<when>]::
554 Ignore changes to submodules in the diff generation. <when> can be
555 either "none", "untracked", "dirty" or "all", which is the default.
556 Using "none" will consider the submodule modified when it either contains
557 untracked or modified files or its HEAD differs from the commit recorded
558 in the superproject and can be used to override any settings of the
559 'ignore' option in linkgit:git-config[1] or linkgit:gitmodules[5]. When
560 "untracked" is used submodules are not considered dirty when they only
561 contain untracked content (but they are still scanned for modified
562 content). Using "dirty" ignores all changes to the work tree of submodules,
563 only changes to the commits stored in the superproject are shown (this was
564 the behavior until 1.7.0). Using "all" hides all changes to submodules.
566 --src-prefix=<prefix>::
567 Show the given source prefix instead of "a/".
569 --dst-prefix=<prefix>::
570 Show the given destination prefix instead of "b/".
573 Do not show any source or destination prefix.
575 --line-prefix=<prefix>::
576 Prepend an additional prefix to every line of output.
578 For more detailed explanation on these common options, see also
579 linkgit:gitdiffcore[7].