Cheat Sheet #day59

`diff` Command Cheatsheet

The diff command in Unix-like systems is used to compare two files line by line and display the differences between them. Here’s a quick reference guide:

Basic Syntax

diff [OPTION]... FILE1 FILE2

Common Options

-u, --unified: Show differences in a unified format. This is the most commonly used format.
```
  diff -u file1.txt file2.txt
```
-c, --context: Show differences in a context format, which includes a few lines of context before and after each change.
```
  diff -c file1.txt file2.txt
```
-i, --ignore-case: Ignore case differences.
```
  diff -i file1.txt file2.txt
```
-w, --ignore-all-space: Ignore all white space.
```
  diff -w file1.txt file2.txt
```
-B, --ignore-blank-lines: Ignore changes whose lines are all blank.
```
  diff -B file1.txt file2.txt
```
-y: Display differences side by side.
```
  diff -y file1.txt file2.txt
```
-Z, --ignore-trailing-space: Ignore whitespace at the end of lines.
```
  diff -Z file1.txt file2.txt
```

Examples

Basic difference between two files:
```
 diff file1.txt file2.txt
```
Unified format comparison:
```
 diff -u file1.txt file2.txt
```
Context format comparison:
```
 diff -c file1.txt file2.txt
```
Ignore case differences:
```
 diff -i file1.txt file2.txt
```
Ignore all white space:
```
 diff -w file1.txt file2.txt
```
Ignore blank lines:
```
 diff -B file1.txt file2.txt
```
Side-by-side comparison:
```
 diff -y file1.txt file2.txt
```
Ignore trailing spaces:
```
 diff -Z file1.txt file2.txt
```

Displaying Differences with Line Numbers

Show line numbers in the output:
```
  diff -n file1.txt file2.txt
```

Additional Information

Help option:
```
  diff --help
```
View diff manual page:
```
  man diff
```

This cheatsheet covers the essential options and usage scenarios for the diff command. For more advanced features and details, refer to the man page or use diff --help.

Cheat Sheet #day59 - diff

diff Command Cheatsheet