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(diff.info)Incomplete Lines

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Incomplete Lines
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   When an input file ends in a non-newline character, its last line is
called an "incomplete line" because its last character is not a
newline.  All other lines are called "full lines" and end in a newline
character.  Incomplete lines do not match full lines unless differences
in white space are ignored (Note: White Space).

   An incomplete line is normally distinguished on output from a full
line by a following line that starts with `\'.  However, the RCS format
(Note: RCS) outputs the incomplete line as-is, without any trailing
newline or following line.  The side by side format normally represents
incomplete lines as-is, but in some cases uses a `\' or `/' gutter
marker; Note: Side by Side.  The if-then-else line format preserves a
line's incompleteness with `%L', and discards the newline with `%l';
Note: Line Formats.  Finally, with the `ed' and forward `ed' output
formats (Note: Output Formats) `diff' cannot represent an incomplete
line, so it pretends there was a newline and reports an error.

   For example, suppose `F' and `G' are one-byte files that contain
just `f' and `g', respectively.  Then `diff F G' outputs

     1c1
     < f
     \ No newline at end of file
     ---
     > g
     \ No newline at end of file

(The exact message may differ in non-English locales.)  `diff -n F G'
outputs the following without a trailing newline:

     d1 1
     a1 1
     g

   `diff -e F G' reports two errors and outputs the following:

     1c
     g
     .