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edit approved Aug 11, 2021 at 12:39
Scrooge McDuck
edit approved Aug 11, 2021 at 12:39
Scrooge McDuck
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I have file1.txt

this is the original text  
line2  
line3  
line4  
happy hacking !

and file2.txt

this is the original text  
line2  
line4  
happy hacking !  
GNU is not UNIX

if I do: diff file1.txt file2.txt I get:

3d2  
< line3  
5a5  
> GNU is not UNIX

How is the output generally interpreted? I think that < means removed but what do 3d2 or 5a5 mean?

If I do:

$ diff -u file1.txt file2.txt  
--- file1.txt        2013-07-06 17:44:59.180000000 +0200  
+++ file2.txt        2013-07-06 17:39:53.433000000 +0200  
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@  
 this is the original text  
 line2  
-line3  
 line4  
 happy hacking !  
+GNU is not UNIX  

$ diff -u file1.txt file2.txt  
--- file1.txt        2013-07-06 17:44:59.180000000 +0200  
+++ file2.txt        2013-07-06 17:39:53.433000000 +0200  
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@  
 this is the original text  
 line2  
-line3  
 line4  
 happy hacking !  
+GNU is not UNIX

The results are clearer but what does @@ -1,5 +1,5 @@ mean?

I have file1.txt

this is the original text  
line2  
line3  
line4  
happy hacking !

and file2.txt

this is the original text  
line2  
line4  
happy hacking !  
GNU is not UNIX

if I do: diff file1.txt file2.txt I get:

3d2  
< line3  
5a5  
> GNU is not UNIX

How is the output generally interpreted? I think that < means removed but what do 3d2 or 5a5 mean?

If I do:

$ diff -u file1.txt file2.txt  
--- file1.txt        2013-07-06 17:44:59.180000000 +0200  
+++ file2.txt        2013-07-06 17:39:53.433000000 +0200  
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@  
 this is the original text  
 line2  
-line3  
 line4  
 happy hacking !  
+GNU is not UNIX

The results are clearer but what does @@ -1,5 +1,5 @@ mean?

I have file1.txt

this is the original text  
line2  
line3  
line4  
happy hacking !

and file2.txt

this is the original text  
line2  
line4  
happy hacking !  
GNU is not UNIX

if I do: diff file1.txt file2.txt I get:

3d2  
< line3  
5a5  
> GNU is not UNIX

How is the output generally interpreted? I think that < means removed but what do 3d2 or 5a5 mean?

If I do:

$ diff -u file1.txt file2.txt  
--- file1.txt        2013-07-06 17:44:59.180000000 +0200  
+++ file2.txt        2013-07-06 17:39:53.433000000 +0200  
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@  
 this is the original text  
 line2  
-line3  
 line4  
 happy hacking !  
+GNU is not UNIX

The results are clearer but what does @@ -1,5 +1,5 @@ mean?

edited title
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Jeff Schaller ♦
Jeff Schaller ♦
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Understaning Understanding of diff output

Tweeted twitter.com/#!/StackUnix/status/353577111174385665
Source Link
Jim
Jim
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  • 88

Understaning of diff output

I have file1.txt

this is the original text  
line2  
line3  
line4  
happy hacking !

and file2.txt

this is the original text  
line2  
line4  
happy hacking !  
GNU is not UNIX

if I do: diff file1.txt file2.txt I get:

3d2  
< line3  
5a5  
> GNU is not UNIX

How is the output generally interpreted? I think that < means removed but what do 3d2 or 5a5 mean?

If I do:

$ diff -u file1.txt file2.txt  
--- file1.txt        2013-07-06 17:44:59.180000000 +0200  
+++ file2.txt        2013-07-06 17:39:53.433000000 +0200  
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@  
 this is the original text  
 line2  
-line3  
 line4  
 happy hacking !  
+GNU is not UNIX

The results are clearer but what does @@ -1,5 +1,5 @@ mean?