DIFF3(1) | General Commands Manual | DIFF3(1)

# NAME

`diff3` — 3-way differential file comparison

# SYNOPSIS

`diff3` | [`-3aEeXx`] file1 file2 file3

# DESCRIPTION

The `diff3` utility compares the contents of three different versions of a file, file1, file2 and file3, writing the result to the standard output. The options describe different methods of merging and purging the separate versions into a new file. `diff3` is used by rcs(1) to merge specific versions or create new versions.

The options are as follows:

`-3`
  Produces an output script suitable for ed(1) with changes specific only to file3.
`-a`
  Treat all files as ASCII.
`-E`, `-X`
  Similar to `-e` and `-x`, respectively, but treat overlapping changes (i.e., changes that would be noted with ==== in the normal listing) differently. The overlapping lines from both files will be inserted by the edit script, bracketed by "<<<<<<" and ">>>>>>" lines.
`-e`
  Produces output in a form suitable as an input script for the ed(1) utility. The script may then be used to merge differences common between all three files and differences specific to file1 and file3. In other words, the `-e` option ignores differences specific to file1 and file2, and those specific to file2 and file3. It is useful for backing out changes specific to file2 only.
`-x`
  Produces an output script suitable for ed(1) with changes specific only to all three versions.

The `-E` option is used by RCS merge(1) to ensure that overlapping changes in the merged files are preserved and brought to someone's attention.

For example, suppose lines 7-8 are changed in both file1 and file2. Applying the edit script generated by the command

`$ diff3 -E file1 file2 file3`

to file1 results in the file:

    lines 1-6
    of file1
    <<<<<<< file1
    lines 7-8
    of file1
    =======
    lines 7-8
    of file3
    >>>>>>> file3
    rest of file1

The default output of `diff3` makes notation of the differences between all files, and those differences specific to each pair of files. The changes are described by the commands necessary for ed(1) to create the desired target from the different versions. See diff(1) for a description of the commands.

`====`
  The lines beneath this notation are ranges of lines which are different between all files.
====n
  The lines beneath this notation are ranges of lines which are exclusively different in file n.

# ENVIRONMENT

`TMPDIR`
  If the environment variable `TMPDIR` exists, `diff3` will use the directory specified by `TMPDIR` as the temporary directory.

# FILES

/tmp/d3a.XXXXXXXXXX
  temporary file
/tmp/d3b.XXXXXXXXXX
  temporary file
/usr/libexec/diff3prog
  the actual executable

# SEE ALSO

diff(1), ed(1), merge(1), rcs(1), sdiff(1)

# HISTORY

A `diff3` command appeared in Version 7 AT&T UNIX.

# BUGS

The `-e` option cannot catch and change lines which have ‘`.`’ as the first and only character on the line. The resulting script will fail on that line as ‘`.`’ is an ed(1) editing command.

May 31, 2007 | Debian