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git/Documentation/git-difftool.adoc
Jean-Noël Avila 1d980196ad doc: convert git-difftool manual page to synopsis style
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Signed-off-by: Jean-Noël Avila <jn.avila@free.fr>
Signed-off-by: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
2026-04-06 09:38:18 -07:00

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git-difftool(1)
===============
NAME
----
git-difftool - Show changes using common diff tools
SYNOPSIS
--------
[synopsis]
git difftool [<options>] [<commit> [<commit>]] [--] [<path>...]
DESCRIPTION
-----------
`git difftool` is a Git command that allows you to compare and edit files
between revisions using common diff tools. `git difftool` is a frontend
to `git diff` and accepts the same options and arguments. See
linkgit:git-diff[1].
OPTIONS
-------
`-d`::
`--dir-diff`::
Copy the modified files to a temporary location and perform
a directory diff on them. This mode never prompts before
launching the diff tool.
`-y`::
`--no-prompt`::
Do not prompt before launching a diff tool.
`--prompt`::
Prompt before each invocation of the diff tool.
This is the default behaviour; the option is provided to
override any configuration settings.
`--rotate-to=<file>`::
Start showing the diff for _<file>_,
the paths before it will move to the end and output.
`--skip-to=<file>`::
Start showing the diff for _<file>_, skipping all
the paths before it.
`-t <tool>`::
`--tool=<tool>`::
Use the diff tool specified by _<tool>_. Valid values include
emerge, kompare, meld, and vimdiff. Run `git difftool --tool-help`
for the list of valid _<tool>_ settings.
+
If a diff tool is not specified, `git difftool`
will use the configuration variable `diff.tool`. If the
configuration variable `diff.tool` is not set, `git difftool`
will pick a suitable default.
+
You can explicitly provide a full path to the tool by setting the
configuration variable `difftool.<tool>.path`. For example, you
can configure the absolute path to kdiff3 by setting
`difftool.kdiff3.path`. Otherwise, `git difftool` assumes the
tool is available in PATH.
+
Instead of running one of the known diff tools,
`git difftool` can be customized to run an alternative program
by specifying the command line to invoke in a configuration
variable `difftool.<tool>.cmd`.
+
When `git difftool` is invoked with this tool (either through the
`-t` or `--tool` option or the `diff.tool` configuration variable)
the configured command line will be invoked with the following
variables available: `$LOCAL` is set to the name of the temporary
file containing the contents of the diff pre-image and `$REMOTE`
is set to the name of the temporary file containing the contents
of the diff post-image. `$MERGED` is the name of the file which is
being compared. `$BASE` is provided for compatibility
with custom merge tool commands and has the same value as `$MERGED`.
`--tool-help`::
Print a list of diff tools that may be used with `--tool`.
`--symlinks`::
`--no-symlinks`::
`git difftool`'s default behavior is to create symlinks to the
working tree when run in `--dir-diff` mode and the right-hand
side of the comparison yields the same content as the file in
the working tree.
+
Specifying `--no-symlinks` instructs `git difftool` to create copies
instead. `--no-symlinks` is the default on Windows.
`-x <command>`::
`--extcmd=<command>`::
Specify a custom command for viewing diffs.
`git-difftool` ignores the configured defaults and runs
`<command> $LOCAL $REMOTE` when this option is specified.
Additionally, `$BASE` is set in the environment.
`-g`::
`--gui`::
`--no-gui`::
When `git-difftool` is invoked with the `-g` or `--gui` option
the default diff tool will be read from the configured
`diff.guitool` variable instead of `diff.tool`. This may be
selected automatically using the configuration variable
`difftool.guiDefault`. The `--no-gui` option can be used to
override these settings. If `diff.guitool` is not set, we will
fallback in the order of `merge.guitool`, `diff.tool`,
`merge.tool` until a tool is found.
`--trust-exit-code`::
`--no-trust-exit-code`::
Errors reported by the diff tool are ignored by default.
Use `--trust-exit-code` to make `git-difftool` exit when an
invoked diff tool returns a non-zero exit code.
+
`git-difftool` will forward the exit code of the invoked tool when
`--trust-exit-code` is used.
See linkgit:git-diff[1] for the full list of supported options.
CONFIGURATION
-------------
`git difftool` falls back to `git mergetool` config variables when the
difftool equivalents have not been defined.
include::includes/cmd-config-section-rest.adoc[]
include::config/difftool.adoc[]
SEE ALSO
--------
linkgit:git-diff[1]::
Show changes between commits, commit and working tree, etc
linkgit:git-mergetool[1]::
Run merge conflict resolution tools to resolve merge conflicts
linkgit:git-config[1]::
Get and set repository or global options
GIT
---
Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite