Edit File: git-difftool.txt
git-difftool(1) =============== NAME ---- git-difftool - Show changes using common diff tools SYNOPSIS -------- [verse] '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. -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 `$MERGED`. --tool-help:: Print a list of diff tools that may be used with `--tool`. --[no-]symlinks:: 'git difftool''s default behavior is create symlinks to the working tree when run in `--dir-diff` mode and the right-hand side of the comparison yields the same content as the file in the working tree. + Specifying `--no-symlinks` instructs 'git difftool' to create copies instead. `--no-symlinks` is the default on Windows. -x <command>:: --extcmd=<command>:: Specify a custom command for viewing diffs. 'git-difftool' ignores the configured defaults and runs `$command $LOCAL $REMOTE` when this option is specified. Additionally, `$BASE` is set in the environment. -g:: --gui:: 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`. See linkgit:git-diff[1] for the full list of supported options. CONFIG VARIABLES ---------------- 'git difftool' falls back to 'git mergetool' config variables when the difftool equivalents have not been defined. diff.tool:: The default diff tool to use. diff.guitool:: The default diff tool to use when `--gui` is specified. difftool.<tool>.path:: Override the path for the given tool. This is useful in case your tool is not in the PATH. difftool.<tool>.cmd:: Specify the command to invoke the specified diff tool. + See the `--tool=<tool>` option above for more details. difftool.prompt:: Prompt before each invocation of the diff tool. 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