6 git-diff - Show changes between commits, commit and working tree, etc
12 'git diff' [options] [<commit>] [--] [<path>...]
13 'git diff' [options] --cached [<commit>] [--] [<path>...]
14 'git diff' [options] <commit> <commit> [--] [<path>...]
15 'git diff' [options] <blob> <blob>
16 'git diff' [options] [--no-index] [--] <path> <path>
20 Show changes between the working tree and the index or a tree, changes
21 between the index and a tree, changes between two trees, or changes
22 between two files on disk.
24 'git diff' [--options] [--] [<path>...]::
26 This form is to view the changes you made relative to
27 the index (staging area for the next commit). In other
28 words, the differences are what you _could_ tell git to
29 further add to the index but you still haven't. You can
30 stage these changes by using linkgit:git-add[1].
32 If exactly two paths are given and at least one points outside
33 the current repository, 'git diff' will compare the two files /
34 directories. This behavior can be forced by --no-index.
36 'git diff' [--options] --cached [<commit>] [--] [<path>...]::
38 This form is to view the changes you staged for the next
39 commit relative to the named <commit>. Typically you
40 would want comparison with the latest commit, so if you
41 do not give <commit>, it defaults to HEAD.
42 If HEAD does not exist (e.g. unborned branches) and
43 <commit> is not given, it shows all staged changes.
44 --staged is a synonym of --cached.
46 'git diff' [--options] <commit> [--] [<path>...]::
48 This form is to view the changes you have in your
49 working tree relative to the named <commit>. You can
50 use HEAD to compare it with the latest commit, or a
51 branch name to compare with the tip of a different
54 'git diff' [--options] <commit> <commit> [--] [<path>...]::
56 This is to view the changes between two arbitrary
59 'git diff' [options] <blob> <blob>::
61 This form is to view the differences between the raw
62 contents of two blob objects.
64 'git diff' [--options] <commit>..<commit> [--] [<path>...]::
66 This is synonymous to the previous form. If <commit> on
67 one side is omitted, it will have the same effect as
70 'git diff' [--options] <commit>\...<commit> [--] [<path>...]::
72 This form is to view the changes on the branch containing
73 and up to the second <commit>, starting at a common ancestor
74 of both <commit>. "git diff A\...B" is equivalent to
75 "git diff $(git-merge-base A B) B". You can omit any one
76 of <commit>, which has the same effect as using HEAD instead.
78 Just in case if you are doing something exotic, it should be
79 noted that all of the <commit> in the above description, except
80 in the last two forms that use ".." notations, can be any
83 For a more complete list of ways to spell <commit>, see
84 "SPECIFYING REVISIONS" section in linkgit:gitrevisions[7].
85 However, "diff" is about comparing two _endpoints_, not ranges,
86 and the range notations ("<commit>..<commit>" and
87 "<commit>\...<commit>") do not mean a range as defined in the
88 "SPECIFYING RANGES" section in linkgit:gitrevisions[7].
93 include::diff-options.txt[]
96 The <paths> parameters, when given, are used to limit
97 the diff to the named paths (you can give directory
98 names and get diff for all files under them).
101 include::diff-format.txt[]
106 Various ways to check your working tree::
110 $ git diff --cached <2>
114 <1> Changes in the working tree not yet staged for the next commit.
115 <2> Changes between the index and your last commit; what you
116 would be committing if you run "git commit" without "-a" option.
117 <3> Changes in the working tree since your last commit; what you
118 would be committing if you run "git commit -a"
120 Comparing with arbitrary commits::
124 $ git diff HEAD -- ./test <2>
125 $ git diff HEAD^ HEAD <3>
128 <1> Instead of using the tip of the current branch, compare with the
129 tip of "test" branch.
130 <2> Instead of comparing with the tip of "test" branch, compare with
131 the tip of the current branch, but limit the comparison to the
133 <3> Compare the version before the last commit and the last commit.
138 $ git diff topic master <1>
139 $ git diff topic..master <2>
140 $ git diff topic...master <3>
143 <1> Changes between the tips of the topic and the master branches.
145 <3> Changes that occurred on the master branch since when the topic
146 branch was started off it.
148 Limiting the diff output::
151 $ git diff --diff-filter=MRC <1>
152 $ git diff --name-status <2>
153 $ git diff arch/i386 include/asm-i386 <3>
156 <1> Show only modification, rename and copy, but not addition
158 <2> Show only names and the nature of change, but not actual
160 <3> Limit diff output to named subtrees.
162 Munging the diff output::
165 $ git diff --find-copies-harder -B -C <1>
169 <1> Spend extra cycles to find renames, copies and complete
170 rewrites (very expensive).
171 <2> Output diff in reverse.
176 linkgit:git-difftool[1],
178 linkgit:gitdiffcore[7],
179 linkgit:git-format-patch[1],
184 Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite