Documentation/git-difftool.txt

   1 git-difftool(1)
   2 ===============
   3
   4 NAME
   5 ----
   6 git-difftool - Show changes using common diff tools
   7
   8 SYNOPSIS
   9 --------
  10 [verse]
  11 'git difftool' [<options>] [<commit> [<commit>]] [--] [<path>...]
  12
  13 DESCRIPTION
  14 -----------
  15 'git difftool' is a git command that allows you to compare and edit files
  16 between revisions using common diff tools.  'git difftool' is a frontend
  17 to 'git diff' and accepts the same options and arguments. See
  18 linkgit:git-diff[1].
  19
  20 OPTIONS
  21 -------
  22 -d::
  23 --dir-diff::
  24         Copy the modified files to a temporary location and perform
  25         a directory diff on them. This mode never prompts before
  26         launching the diff tool.
  27
  28 -y::
  29 --no-prompt::
  30         Do not prompt before launching a diff tool.
  31
  32 --prompt::
  33         Prompt before each invocation of the diff tool.
  34         This is the default behaviour; the option is provided to
  35         override any configuration settings.
  36
  37 -t <tool>::
  38 --tool=<tool>::
  39         Use the diff tool specified by <tool>.  Valid values include
  40         emerge, kompare, meld, and vimdiff. Run `git difftool --tool-help`
  41         for the list of valid <tool> settings.
  42 +
  43 If a diff tool is not specified, 'git difftool'
  44 will use the configuration variable `diff.tool`.  If the
  45 configuration variable `diff.tool` is not set, 'git difftool'
  46 will pick a suitable default.
  47 +
  48 You can explicitly provide a full path to the tool by setting the
  49 configuration variable `difftool.<tool>.path`. For example, you
  50 can configure the absolute path to kdiff3 by setting
  51 `difftool.kdiff3.path`. Otherwise, 'git difftool' assumes the
  52 tool is available in PATH.
  53 +
  54 Instead of running one of the known diff tools,
  55 'git difftool' can be customized to run an alternative program
  56 by specifying the command line to invoke in a configuration
  57 variable `difftool.<tool>.cmd`.
  58 +
  59 When 'git difftool' is invoked with this tool (either through the
  60 `-t` or `--tool` option or the `diff.tool` configuration variable)
  61 the configured command line will be invoked with the following
  62 variables available: `$LOCAL` is set to the name of the temporary
  63 file containing the contents of the diff pre-image and `$REMOTE`
  64 is set to the name of the temporary file containing the contents
  65 of the diff post-image.  `$MERGED` is the name of the file which is
  66 being compared. `$BASE` is provided for compatibility
  67 with custom merge tool commands and has the same value as `$MERGED`.
  68
  69 --tool-help::
  70         Print a list of diff tools that may be used with `--tool`.
  71
  72 --symlinks::
  73 --no-symlinks::
  74         'git difftool''s default behavior is create symlinks to the
  75         working tree when run in `--dir-diff` mode.
  76 +
  77         Specifying `--no-symlinks` instructs 'git difftool' to create
  78         copies instead.  `--no-symlinks` is the default on Windows.
  79
  80 -x <command>::
  81 --extcmd=<command>::
  82         Specify a custom command for viewing diffs.
  83         'git-difftool' ignores the configured defaults and runs
  84         `$command $LOCAL $REMOTE` when this option is specified.
  85         Additionally, `$BASE` is set in the environment.
  86
  87 -g::
  88 --gui::
  89         When 'git-difftool' is invoked with the `-g` or `--gui` option
  90         the default diff tool will be read from the configured
  91         `diff.guitool` variable instead of `diff.tool`.
  92
  93 See linkgit:git-diff[1] for the full list of supported options.
  94
  95 CONFIG VARIABLES
  96 ----------------
  97 'git difftool' falls back to 'git mergetool' config variables when the
  98 difftool equivalents have not been defined.
  99
 100 diff.tool::
 101         The default diff tool to use.
 102
 103 diff.guitool::
 104         The default diff tool to use when `--gui` is specified.
 105
 106 difftool.<tool>.path::
 107         Override the path for the given tool.  This is useful in case
 108         your tool is not in the PATH.
 109
 110 difftool.<tool>.cmd::
 111         Specify the command to invoke the specified diff tool.
 112 +
 113 See the `--tool=<tool>` option above for more details.
 114
 115 difftool.prompt::
 116         Prompt before each invocation of the diff tool.
 117
 118 SEE ALSO
 119 --------
 120 linkgit:git-diff[1]::
 121          Show changes between commits, commit and working tree, etc
 122
 123 linkgit:git-mergetool[1]::
 124         Run merge conflict resolution tools to resolve merge conflicts
 125
 126 linkgit:git-config[1]::
 127          Get and set repository or global options
 128
 129 GIT
 130 ---
 131 Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite