sdiff

Merge two files interactively. Show the differences, with output to outfile.

Syntax
      sdiff -o outfile [options] from-file to-file

Options

   Multiple single letter options (unless they take an argument)
   can be combined into a single command line argument.

   -a
   --text Treat all files as text and compare them line-by- line,
          even if they do not appear to be text.

   -b
   --ignore-space-change
          Ignore changes in amount of white space.

   -B
   --ignore-blank-lines
          Ignore changes that just insert or delete blank lines.

   -d
   --minimal
          Change the algorithm to perhaps find a smaller set of changes.
          This makes sdiff slower (sometimes much slower).

   -H
   --speed-large-files
          Use heuristics to speed  handling of large files that have numerous scattered small changes.

   -i
   --ignore-case
          Ignore changes in case; consider upper- and lower-case to be the same.

   -I regexp
          Ignore changes that just insert or delete lines that match regexp.

   --ignore-all-space
          Ignore white space when comparing lines.

   --ignore-matching-lines=regexp
          Ignore changes that just insert or delete lines that match regexp.

   -l
   --left-column
          Print only the left column of two common lines.

   -o file
   --output=file
          Put merged output into file. This option is required for merging.

   -s
   --suppress-common-lines
          Do not print common lines.

   -t
   --expand-tabs
          Expand tabs to spaces in the output, to preserve the alignment of tabs
          in the input files.

   -v
   --version
          Output the version number of sdiff.

   -w columns
   --width=columns
          Use an output width of columns.  Note that for historical reasons,
          this option is -W in diff, -w in sdiff.

Long named options can be abbreviated to any unique prefix of their name.

If from-file is a directory and to-file is not, sdiff compares the file in from-file whose file name is that of to-file, and vice versa. from-file and to-file can not both be directories.

sdiff options begin with -, so normally from-file and to-file can not begin with -. However, -- as an argument by itself treats the remaining arguments as file names even if they begin with -.

You can not use - as an input file.

sdiff without -o (or --output) produces a side-by-side difference. This usage is obsolete; use diff --side-by-side instead.

An exit status of 0 means no differences were found, 1 means some differences were found, and 2 means trouble.

“Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it” ~ Norman Maclean

Related Linux commands

cmp - Compare two files.
comm(1).
diff - Display the differences between two files.
diff3 - Show differences among three files.
Equivalent Windows commands: COMP / FC - Compare and display Characters/Lines which do not match.