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(diff.info)diff3 Options

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Options to `diff3'
==================

   Below is a summary of all of the options that GNU `diff3' accepts.
Multiple single letter options (unless they take an argument) can be
combined into a single command line argument.

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

`-A'
     Incorporate all changes from OLDER to YOURS into MINE, surrounding
     all conflicts with bracket lines.  Note: Marking Conflicts.

`-e'
     Generate an `ed' script that incorporates all the changes from
     OLDER to YOURS into MINE.  Note: Which Changes.

`-E'
     Like `-e', except bracket lines from overlapping changes' first
     and third files.  Note: Marking Conflicts.  With `-e', an
     overlapping change looks like this:

          <<<<<<< MINE
          lines from MINE
          =======
          lines from YOURS
          >>>>>>> YOURS

`--ed'
     Generate an `ed' script that incorporates all the changes from
     OLDER to YOURS into MINE.  Note: Which Changes.

`--easy-only'
     Like `-e', except output only the nonoverlapping changes.  Note:
     Which Changes.

`-i'
     Generate `w' and `q' commands at the end of the `ed' script for
     System V compatibility.  This option must be combined with one of
     the `-AeExX3' options, and may not be combined with `-m'.  Note:
     Saving the Changed File.

`--initial-tab'
     Output a tab rather than two spaces before the text of a line in
     normal format.  This causes the alignment of tabs in the line to
     look normal.  Note: Tabs.

`-L LABEL'
`--label=LABEL'
     Use the label LABEL for the brackets output by the `-A', `-E' and
     `-X' options.  This option may be given up to three times, one for
     each input file.  The default labels are the names of the input
     files.  Thus `diff3 -L X -L Y -L Z -m A B C' acts like `diff3 -m A
     B C', except that the output looks like it came from files named
     `X', `Y' and `Z' rather than from files named `A', `B' and `C'.
     Note: Marking Conflicts.

`-m'
`--merge'
     Apply the edit script to the first file and send the result to
     standard output.  Unlike piping the output from `diff3' to `ed',
     this works even for binary files and incomplete lines.  `-A' is
     assumed if no edit script option is specified.  Note: Bypassing
     ed.

`--overlap-only'
     Like `-e', except output only the overlapping changes.  Note:
     Which Changes.

`--show-all'
     Incorporate all unmerged changes from OLDER to YOURS into MINE,
     surrounding all overlapping changes with bracket lines.  Note:
     Marking Conflicts.

`--show-overlap'
     Like `-e', except bracket lines from overlapping changes' first
     and third files.  Note: Marking Conflicts.

`-T'
     Output a tab rather than two spaces before the text of a line in
     normal format.  This causes the alignment of tabs in the line to
     look normal.  Note: Tabs.

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

`-v'
`--version'
     Output the version number of `diff3'.

`-x'
     Like `-e', except output only the overlapping changes.  Note:
     Which Changes.

`-X'
     Like `-E', except output only the overlapping changes.  In other
     words, like `-x', except bracket changes as in `-E'.  Note:
     Marking Conflicts.

`-3'
     Like `-e', except output only the nonoverlapping changes.  Note:
     Which Changes.