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 Invoking `diff'
 ***************
 
    The format for running the `diff' command is:
 
      diff OPTIONS... FILES...
 
    In the simplest case, two file names FROM-FILE and TO-FILE are
 given, and `diff' compares the contents of FROM-FILE and TO-FILE.  A
 file name of `-' stands for text read from the standard input.  As a
 special case, `diff - -' compares a copy of standard input to itself.
 
    If one file is a directory and the other is not, `diff' compares the
 file in the directory whose name is that of the non-directory.  The
 non-directory file must not be `-'.
 
    If two file names are given and both are directories, `diff'
 compares corresponding files in both directories, in alphabetical
 order; this comparison is not recursive unless the `-r' or
 `--recursive' option is given.  `diff' never compares the actual
 contents of a directory as if it were a file.  The file that is fully
 specified may not be standard input, because standard input is nameless
 and the notion of "file with the same name" does not apply.
 
    If the `--from-file=FILE' option is given, the number of file names
 is arbitrary, and FILE is compared to each named file.  Similarly, if
 the `--to-file=FILE' option is given, each named file is compared to
 FILE.
 
    `diff' options begin with `-', so normally file names may not begin
 with `-'.  However, `--' as an argument by itself treats the remaining
 arguments as file names even if they begin with `-'.
 
    An exit status of 0 means no differences were found, 1 means some
 differences were found, and 2 means trouble.
 

Menu

 
* diff Options Summary of options to `diff'.
 
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