diff \- differential file comparator
tells what lines must be changed in two files to bring them
is `\-', the standard input is used.
is a directory, then a file in that directory
whose file-name is the same as the file-name of
The normal output contains lines of these forms:
The numbers after the letters pertain to
In fact, by exchanging `a' for `d' and reading backward
one may ascertain equally how to convert
are abbreviated as a single number.
Following each of these lines come all the lines that are
affected in the first file flagged by `<',
then all the lines that are affected in the second file
trailing blanks (spaces and tabs) to be ignored
and other strings of blanks to compare equal.
option produces a script of
option produces a similar script,
the following shell program may help maintain
multiple versions of a file.
Only an ancestral file ($1) and a chain of
scripts ($2,$3,...) made by
A `latest version' appears on
(shift; cat $*; echo \'1,$p\') \(bv ed \- $1
Except in rare circumstances,
finds a smallest sufficient set of file
does a fast, half-hearted job.
It works only when changed stretches are short
but does work on files of unlimited length.
Exit status is 0 for no differences, 1 for some, 2 for trouble.
Editing scripts produced under the
.BR \-f " option are naive about"
creating lines consisting of a single `\fB.\fR'.