




Command:   diff - print differences between two files
Syntax:    diff   [-c | -e | -C n] [-br]file1 file2
Flags:     -C n Produce output that contains n lines of context
           -b  Ignore white space when comparing
           -c  Produce output that contains three lines of context
           -e  Produce an ed-script to convert file1 into file2
           -r  Apply diff recursively to files and directories of
the same name, when file1 and file2 are both directories"
Examples:  diff file1 file2         # Print differences between 2 files
           diff -C 0 file1 file2    # Same as above
           diff -C 3 file1 file2    # Output three lines of context with
                                      every
difference encountered"
           diff -c file1 file2      # Same
           diff /etc /dev           #    Compares    recursively     the
                                      directories /etc and /dev
           diff passwd /etc         # Compares ./passwd to /etc/passwd

     Diff compares two files and generates a list of lines  telling  how
the  two files differ.  Lines may not be longer than 128 characters.  If
the two  arguments on  the  command  line  are  both  directories,  diff
recursively steps through all subdirectories comparing files of the same
name. If a file name is  found  only  in  one  directory,  a  diagnostic
message  is  written  to stdout. A file that is of either block special,
character special or FIFO special type, cannot be compared to any  other
file.   On  the other hand, if there is one directory and one file given
on the command line, diff tries to compare the file with the  same  name
as file in the directory directory.






























                                                                        

