GNU Diffutils

https://www.gnu.org/software/diffutils/manual/
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GNU Diffutils is a set of tools including diff, diff3, cmp, sdiff, and patch for comparing files and...
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### Sample third input file 'tao' for diff3 examples

Source: https://www.gnu.org/software/diffutils/manual/diffutils.txt

The third sample file used in diff3 examples, named 'tao'. It contains a passage from the Tao Te Ching and is used alongside the 'lao' and 'tzu' files to illustrate diff3 output.

```text
The Way that can be told of is not the eternal Way;
The name that can be named is not the eternal name.
The Nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth;
The named is the mother of all things.

Therefore let there always be non-being,
  so we may see their subtlety,
And let there always be being,
  so we may see their result.
The two are the same,
But after they are produced,
  they have different names.

  -- The Way of Lao-Tzu, tr. Wing-tsit Chan
```

--------------------------------

### Normal format diff output example

Source: https://www.gnu.org/software/diffutils/manual/diffutils.txt

Example output of diff in normal format, showing hunks with change commands like '1,2d0', '4c2,3', and '11a11,13'. Lines prefixed with '<' are from the first file, '>' from the second.

```diff
     1,2d0
     < The Way that can be told of is not the eternal Way;
     < The name that can be named is not the eternal name.
     4c2,3
     < The Named is the mother of all things.
     ---
     > The named is the mother of all things.
     >
     11a11,13
     > They both may be called deep and profound.
     > Deeper and more profound,
     > The door of all subtleties!
```

--------------------------------

### diff3 F G H example output

Source: https://www.gnu.org/software/diffutils/manual/diffutils.txt

Example output from 'diff3 F G H' showing a two-way hunk (====2) and a three-way hunk (====). The commands indicate line changes in each file.

```diff3
====2
1:1c
3:1c
  a
2:1c
  g
====
1:3c
  f
2:3c
  g
3:3c
  h
```

--------------------------------

### Sample file 'lao'

Source: https://www.gnu.org/software/diffutils/manual/diffutils.txt

The first of two sample files used in examples. Contains the text of the Tao Te Ching excerpt.

```text
The Way that can be told of is not the eternal Way;
The name that can be named is not the eternal name.
The Nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth;
The Named is the mother of all things.
Therefore let there always be non-being,
  so we may see their subtlety,
And let there always be being,
  so we may see their outcome.
The two are the same,
But after they are produced,
  they have different names.
```

--------------------------------

### diff3 -m lao tzu tao command and output

Source: https://www.gnu.org/software/diffutils/manual/html_node/Bypassing-ed.html

Example command 'diff3 -m lao tzu tao' and its output, showing conflict markers and merged content. The output includes <<<<<<<, =======, >>>>>>>, and ||||||| markers.

```text
diff3 -m lao tzu tao
```

```text
<<<<<<< tzu
=======
The Way that can be told of is not the eternal Way;
The name that can be named is not the eternal name.
>>>>>>> tao
The Nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth;
The Named is the mother of all things.
Therefore let there always be non-being,
  so we may see their subtlety,
And let there always be being,
  so we may see their result.
The two are the same,
But after they are produced,
  they have different names.
<<<<<<< lao
||||||| tzu
They both may be called deep and profound.
Deeper and more profound,
The door of all subtleties!
=======

  -- The Way of Lao-Tzu, tr. Wing-tsit Chan
>>>>>>> tao
```

--------------------------------

### Equivalent diff command with explicit default line group formats

Source: https://www.gnu.org/software/diffutils/manual/diffutils.txt

Same as the previous example but spells out all four line group formats, including --unchanged-group-format and --changed-group-format.

```shell
diff \
   --old-group-format='\begin{em}
%<\end{em}
' \
   --new-group-format='\begin{bf}
%>\end{bf}
' \
   --unchanged-group-format='%=' \
   --changed-group-format='\begin{em}
%<\end{em}
\begin{bf}
%>\end{bf}
' \
   old new
```

--------------------------------

### Sample file 'tzu'

Source: https://www.gnu.org/software/diffutils/manual/diffutils.txt

The second of two sample files used in examples. Contains a slightly different version of the Tao Te Ching excerpt.

```text
The Nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth;
The named is the mother of all things.

Therefore let there always be non-being,
  so we may see their subtlety,
And let there always be being,
  so we may see their outcome.
The two are the same,
But after they are produced,
  they have different names.
They both may be called deep and profound.
Deeper and more profound,
The door of all subtleties!
```

--------------------------------

### diff command syntax

Source: https://www.gnu.org/software/diffutils/manual/html_node/Invoking-diff.html

Shows the general format for running the diff command. Options and file names are placeholders.

```text
diff options... files...

```

--------------------------------

### Unified format hunk structure

Source: https://www.gnu.org/software/diffutils/manual/diffutils.txt

Shows the general structure of a unified format hunk with file line numbers and lines from either file. Line numbers appear as START,COUNT when a hunk has two or more lines; otherwise only the start or end line number appears.

```diff
@@ FROM-FILE-LINE-NUMBERS TO-FILE-LINE-NUMBERS @@
 LINE-FROM-EITHER-FILE
 LINE-FROM-EITHER-FILE...
```

--------------------------------

### Example of a corrected diff header with consistent slashes

Source: https://www.gnu.org/software/diffutils/manual/html_node/Avoiding-Common-Mistakes.html

Shows a diff header where both file names have the same number of slashes, avoiding confusion for patch consumers.

```diff
diff -Naur v2.0.29/prog/README v2.0.30/prog/README
--- v2.0.29/prog/README	2002-03-10 23:30:39.942229878 -0800
+++ v2.0.30/prog/README	2002-03-17 20:49:32.442260588 -0800

```

--------------------------------

### diff3 normal format example with two-way and three-way hunks

Source: https://www.gnu.org/software/diffutils/manual/diffutils.txt

Shows a sample diff3 output with a two-way hunk (marked '====2') and a three-way hunk (marked '===='). The commands like '1:1,2c' and '2:0a' indicate line ranges and additions.

```diff3
====2
1:1,2c
3:1,2c
  The Way that can be told of is not the eternal Way;
  The name that can be named is not the eternal name.
2:0a
====1
1:4c
  The Named is the mother of all things.
2:2,3c
3:4,5c
  The named is the mother of all things.

====3
1:8c
2:7c
    so we may see their outcome.
3:9c
    so we may see their result.
====
1:11a
2:11,13c
  They both may be called deep and profound.
  Deeper and more profound,
  The door of all subtleties!
3:13,14c

    -- The Way of Lao-Tzu, tr. Wing-tsit Chan
```

--------------------------------

### diff F G output when common line is 'c'

Source: https://www.gnu.org/software/diffutils/manual/diffutils.txt

Example output from 'diff F G' when the common line is 'c'. Shows the hunk format with line numbers and '<' and '>' prefixes.

```text
     1,2d0
     < a
     < b
     3a2,3
     > b
     > a
```

--------------------------------

### diff3 command syntax

Source: https://www.gnu.org/software/diffutils/manual/html_node/Invoking-diff3.html

Shows the general syntax for invoking diff3 with options and three file arguments. At most one file may be '-' to read standard input.

```text
diff3 options... mine older yours

```
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