6 git-diff - Show changes between commits, commit and working tree, etc
11 'git-diff' [<common diff options>] <commit>{0,2} [--] [<path>...]
15 Show changes between two trees, a tree and the working tree, a
16 tree and the index file, or the index file and the working tree.
18 'git-diff' [--options] [--] [<path>...]::
20 This form is to view the changes you made relative to
21 the index (staging area for the next commit). In other
22 words, the differences are what you _could_ tell git to
23 further add to the index but you still haven't. You can
24 stage these changes by using linkgit:git-add[1].
26 If exactly two paths are given, and at least one is untracked,
27 compare the two files / directories. This behavior can be
30 'git-diff' [--options] --cached [<commit>] [--] [<path>...]::
32 This form is to view the changes you staged for the next
33 commit relative to the named <commit>. Typically you
34 would want comparison with the latest commit, so if you
35 do not give <commit>, it defaults to HEAD.
37 'git-diff' [--options] <commit> [--] [<path>...]::
39 This form is to view the changes you have in your
40 working tree relative to the named <commit>. You can
41 use HEAD to compare it with the latest commit, or a
42 branch name to compare with the tip of a different
45 'git-diff' [--options] <commit> <commit> [--] [<path>...]::
47 This is to view the changes between two arbitrary
50 'git-diff' [--options] <commit>..<commit> [--] [<path>...]::
52 This is synonymous to the previous form. If <commit> on
53 one side is omitted, it will have the same effect as
56 'git-diff' [--options] <commit>\...<commit> [--] [<path>...]::
58 This form is to view the changes on the branch containing
59 and up to the second <commit>, starting at a common ancestor
60 of both <commit>. "git-diff A\...B" is equivalent to
61 "git-diff $(git-merge-base A B) B". You can omit any one
62 of <commit>, which has the same effect as using HEAD instead.
64 Just in case if you are doing something exotic, it should be
65 noted that all of the <commit> in the above description, except
66 for the last two forms that use ".." notations, can be any
69 For a more complete list of ways to spell <commit>, see
70 "SPECIFYING REVISIONS" section in linkgit:git-rev-parse[1].
71 However, "diff" is about comparing two _endpoints_, not ranges,
72 and the range notations ("<commit>..<commit>" and
73 "<commit>\...<commit>") do not mean a range as defined in the
74 "SPECIFYING RANGES" section in linkgit:git-rev-parse[1].
79 include::diff-options.txt[]
82 The <paths> parameters, when given, are used to limit
83 the diff to the named paths (you can give directory
84 names and get diff for all files under them).
88 include::diff-format.txt[]
93 Various ways to check your working tree::
97 $ git diff --cached <2>
101 <1> Changes in the working tree not yet staged for the next commit.
102 <2> Changes between the index and your last commit; what you
103 would be committing if you run "git commit" without "-a" option.
104 <3> Changes in the working tree since your last commit; what you
105 would be committing if you run "git commit -a"
107 Comparing with arbitrary commits::
111 $ git diff HEAD -- ./test <2>
112 $ git diff HEAD^ HEAD <3>
115 <1> Instead of using the tip of the current branch, compare with the
116 tip of "test" branch.
117 <2> Instead of comparing with the tip of "test" branch, compare with
118 the tip of the current branch, but limit the comparison to the
120 <3> Compare the version before the last commit and the last commit.
125 $ git diff topic master <1>
126 $ git diff topic..master <2>
127 $ git diff topic...master <3>
130 <1> Changes between the tips of the topic and the master branches.
132 <3> Changes that occurred on the master branch since when the topic
133 branch was started off it.
135 Limiting the diff output::
138 $ git diff --diff-filter=MRC <1>
139 $ git diff --name-status <2>
140 $ git diff arch/i386 include/asm-i386 <3>
143 <1> Show only modification, rename and copy, but not addition
145 <2> Show only names and the nature of change, but not actual
147 <3> Limit diff output to named subtrees.
149 Munging the diff output::
152 $ git diff --find-copies-harder -B -C <1>
156 <1> Spend extra cycles to find renames, copies and complete
157 rewrites (very expensive).
158 <2> Output diff in reverse.
163 Written by Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org>
167 Documentation by Junio C Hamano and the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.
171 Part of the linkgit:git[7] suite