---
obj: application
wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diff
website: https://www.gnu.org/software/diffutils/
repo: https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/diffutils.git
---
# diff
compare files line by line
Usage: `diff [OPTION]... FILES`

## Options
| Option                         | Description                                     |
| ------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------- |
| `--normal`                     | output a normal diff (the default)              |
| `-q, --brief`                  | report only when files differ                   |
| `-s, --report-identical-files` | report when two files are the same              |
| `-c, -C NUM, --context[=NUM]`  | output NUM (default 3) lines of copied context  |
| `-u, -U NUM, --unified[=NUM]`  | output NUM (default 3) lines of unified context |
| `-r, --recursive`              | recursively compare any subdirectories found    |
| `-a, --text`                   | treat all files as text                         |