diff man page on UNIXv7

Man page or keyword search:  
man Server   300 pages
apropos Keyword Search (all sections)
Output format
UNIXv7 logo
[printable version]

DIFF(1)								       DIFF(1)

NAME
       diff - differential file comparator

SYNOPSIS
       diff [ -efbh ] file1 file2

DESCRIPTION
       Diff  tells  what lines must be changed in two files to bring them into
       agreement.  If file1 (file2) is `-', the standard input	is  used.   If
       file1 (file2) is a directory, then a file in that directory whose file-
       name is the same as the file-name of file2 (file1) is used.  The normal
       output contains lines of these forms:

	    n1 a n3,n4
	    n1,n2 d n3
	    n1,n2 c n3,n4

       These lines resemble ed commands to convert file1 into file2.  The num‐
       bers after the letters pertain to file2.	 In fact,  by  exchanging  `a'
       for  `d'	 and reading backward one may ascertain equally how to convert
       file2 into file1.  As in ed, identical pairs where n1 = n2 or n3	 =  n4
       are abbreviated as a single number.

       Following  each	of these lines come all the lines that are affected in
       the first file flagged by `<', then all the lines that are affected  in
       the second file flagged by `>'.

       The  -b	option	causes trailing blanks (spaces and tabs) to be ignored
       and other strings of blanks to compare equal.

       The -e option produces a script of a, c and d commands for  the	editor
       ed,  which  will	 recreate  file2 from file1.  The -f option produces a
       similar script, not useful with ed, in the opposite order.  In  connec‐
       tion  with  -e,	the following shell program may help maintain multiple
       versions of a file.  Only an ancestral file ($1) and a  chain  of  ver‐
       sion-to-version ed scripts ($2,$3,...) made by diff need be on hand.  A
       `latest version' appears on the standard output.

	    (shift; cat $*; echo ´1,$p´) ⎪ ed - $1

       Except in rare circumstances, diff finds a smallest sufficient  set  of
       file differences.

       Option  -h  does	 a fast, half-hearted job.  It works only when changed
       stretches are short and well separated,	but  does  work	 on  files  of
       unlimited length.  Options -e and -f are unavailable with -h.

FILES
       /tmp/d?????
       /usr/lib/diffh for -h

SEE ALSO
       cmp(1), comm(1), ed(1)

DIAGNOSTICS
       Exit status is 0 for no differences, 1 for some, 2 for trouble.

BUGS
       Editing scripts produced under the -e or -f option are naive about cre‐
       ating lines consisting of a single `.'.

								       DIFF(1)
[top]

List of man pages available for UNIXv7

Copyright (c) for man pages and the logo by the respective OS vendor.

For those who want to learn more, the polarhome community provides shell access and support.

[legal] [privacy] [GNU] [policy] [cookies] [netiquette] [sponsors] [FAQ]
Tweet
Polarhome, production since 1999.
Member of Polarhome portal.
Based on Fawad Halim's script.
....................................................................
Vote for polarhome
Free Shell Accounts :: the biggest list on the net