sdiff - find differences between two files and merge interactively

SYNOPSIS

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

DESCRIPTION

       The sdiff command merges two files and interactively outputs the results to outfile.

       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  may  not  both  be
       directories.

       sdiff  options begin with -, so normally from-file and to-file may not begin with -.  HowÐ
       ever, -- as an argument by itself treats the remaining arguments as  file  names  even  if
       they begin with -.  You may not use - as an input file.

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

   Options
       Below is a summary of all of the options that GNU sdiff  accepts.   Each  option  has  two
       equivalent names, one of which is a single letter preceded by -, and the other of which is
       a long name preceded by --.  Multiple single letter options (unless they take an argument)
       can  be  combined into a single command line argument.  Long named options can be abbreviÐ
       ated to any unique prefix of their name.

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

       -b     Ignore changes in amount of white space.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

       -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.

       -W     Ignore  horizontal white space when comparing lines.  Note that for historical reaÐ
              sons, this option is -w in diff, -W in sdiff.

SEE ALSO

       cmp(1), comm(1), diff(1), diff3(1).

DIAGNOSTICS

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