From: Jonathan Nieder Date: Mon, 11 Oct 2010 16:07:18 GMT Subject: [RFC/PATCH 5/4] Documentation: flesh out diff --no-index description Message-ID: <20101011160718.GF25842@burratino> In-Reply-To: <20101011160224.GA25842@burratino> Explain what diff --no-index is used for in more detail. Signed-off-by: Jonathan Nieder --- Documentation/git-diff.txt | 21 +++++++++++++++++---- 1 files changed, 17 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-) diff --git a/Documentation/git-diff.txt b/Documentation/git-diff.txt index dd1fb32..6700e8c 100644 --- a/Documentation/git-diff.txt +++ b/Documentation/git-diff.txt @@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ tree and the index file, or the index file and the working tree. + If exactly two paths are given and at least one points outside the current repository, 'git diff' will compare the two files / -directories. This behavior can be forced by --no-index. +directories (see --no-index below). 'git diff' [--options] --cached [] [--] [...]:: @@ -62,11 +62,24 @@ directories. This behavior can be forced by --no-index. "git diff $(git-merge-base A B) B". You can omit any one of , which has the same effect as using HEAD instead. +'git diff' [--options] --no-index [--] :: + + In this form, 'git diff' will compare a pair of files or + directories that are not necessarily being managed by git. + The tracked content of files in the index and the object + database are ignored. ++ +In other words, this form allows 'git diff' to be used as a +traditional 'diff' command (plus the familiar extras like --check, +color, pagination, automatic use of -r, --stat/--name-status, +--pickaxe, --binary, copy/rename detection, -Oorderfile, and +--patience). + Just in case if you are doing something exotic, it should be noted that all of the in the above description, except -in the last two forms that use ".." notations, can be any -. The third form ('git diff ') can also -be used to compare two objects. +in the two forms that use ".." notations, can be any . +The third form ('git diff ') can also be used +to compare two objects. For a more complete list of ways to spell , see "SPECIFYING REVISIONS" section in linkgit:gitrevisions[7]. -- 1.7.2.3