The "diff" command:
Show the difference between the current version of each of the FILEs specified (as they exist on disk) and that same file as it was checked out. Or if the FILE arguments are omitted, show all unsaved changes currently in the working check-out.
The default output format is a "unified patch" (the same as the output of "diff -u" on most unix systems). Many alternative formats are available. A few of the more useful alternatives:
- --tk
- Pop up a TCL/TK-based GUI to show the diff
- --by
- Show a side-by-side diff in the default web browser
- -b
- Show a linear diff in the default web browser
- -y
- Show a text side-by-side diff
- --webpage
- Format output as HTML
- --webpage -y
- HTML output in the side-by-side format
The "--from VERSION" option is used it specifies the source check-in for the diff operation. If not specified, the source check-in is the base check-in for the current check-out. Similarly, the "--to VERSION" option specifies the check-in from which the second version of the file or files is taken. If there is no "--to" option then the (possibly edited) files in the current check-out are used. The "--checkin VERSION" option shows the changes made by check-in VERSION relative to its primary parent. The "--branch BRANCHNAME" shows all the changes on the branch BRANCHNAME.
The "-i" command-line option forces the use of Fossils own the internal diff logic rather than any external diff program that might be configured using the "setting" command. If no external diff program is configured, then the "-i" option is a no-op. The "-i" option converts "gdiff" into "diff".
The "--diff-binary" option enables or disables the inclusion of binary files when using an external diff program.
The "--binary" option causes files matching the glob PATTERN to be treated as binary when considering if they should be used with external diff program. This option overrides the "binary-glob" setting.
These command show differences between managed files. Use the "fossil xdiff" command to see differences in unmanaged files.
Options:
- --binary PATTERN
- Treat files that match the glob PATTERN as binary
- --branch BRANCH
- Show diff of all changes on BRANCH
- --brief
- Show filenames only
- -b|--browser
- Show the diff output in a web-browser
- --by
- Shorthand for "--browser -y"
- -ci|--checkin VERSION
- Show diff of all changes in VERSION
- --command PROG
- External diff program. Overrides "diff-command"
- -c|--context N
- Show N lines of context around each change
- --diff-binary BOOL
- Include binary files with external commands
- --exec-abs-paths
- Force absolute path names on external commands
- --exec-rel-paths
- Force relative path names on external commands
- -r|--from VERSION
- Select VERSION as source for the diff
- -w|--ignore-all-space
- Ignore white space when comparing lines
- -i|--internal
- Use internal diff logic
- --json
- Output formatted as JSON
- -N|--new-file
- Alias for --verbose
- --numstat
- Show only the number of lines delete and added
- -y|--side-by-side
- Side-by-side diff
- --strip-trailing-cr
- Strip trailing CR
- --tcl
- TCL-formated output used internally by --tk
- --tclsh PATH
- TCL/TK used for --tk (default: "tclsh")
- --tk
- Launch a Tcl/Tk GUI for display
- --to VERSION
- Select VERSION as target for the diff
- --undo
- Diff against the "undo" buffer
- --unified
- Unified diff
- -v|--verbose
- Output complete text of added or deleted files
- -h|--versions
- Show compared versions in the diff header
- --webpage
- Format output as a stand-alone HTML webpage
- -W|--width N
- Width of lines in side-by-side diff
- -Z|--ignore-trailing-space
- Ignore changes to end-of-line whitespace