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Commands Reference, Volume 5
sdiff Command
Purpose
Compares two files and displays the differences in
a side-by-side format.
Syntax
sdiff [ -l | -s ] [ -o OutFile ] [ -w Number ] File1 File2
Description
The sdiff command reads the files
specified by the File1 and File2 parameters, uses the diff command to compare them, and writes the results to standard output
in a side-by-side format. The sdiff command displays
each line of the two files with a series of spaces between them if the lines
are identical. It displays a < (less than sign) in the field of spaces
if the line only exists in the file specified by the File1 parameter, a > (greater than sign) if the line only exists in the
file specified by the File2 parameter, and a | (vertical
bar) for lines that are different.
When you specify the -o flag, the sdiff command merges
the files specified by the File1 and File2 parameters and produces a third file.
Note: The sdiff command invokes the diff -b command to compare
two input files. The -b flag causes the diff command to ignore trailing spaces and tab characters and to consider
other strings of spaces as equal.
Flags
-l |
Displays only the left side when lines are identical. |
-o OutFile |
Creates a third file, specified by the OutFile variable, by a controlled line-by-line merging of the two files specified
by the File1 and the File2
parameters. The following subcommands govern the creation of this file:
- e
- Starts the ed command with an empty file.
- e b or e |
- Starts the ed command with both sides.
- e l or e <
- Starts the ed command with the left side.
- e r or e >
- Starts the ed command with the right side.
- l
- Adds the left side to the output file.
- r
- Adds the right side to the output file.
- s
- Stops displaying identical lines.
- v
- Begins displaying identical lines.
- q
- Performs one of the following functions:
- Exits the ed command.
- Exits the sdiff command if no ed command is running.
- Exits both commands. This action occurs when there
are no more lines to be merged into the output file.
Each time you exit from the ed command, the sdiff command writes the resulting
edited file to the end of the file specified by the OutFile variable. If you do not save the changes before exiting (for example,
you press the Ctrl-C key sequence), the sdiff command
writes the initial input to the output file.
|
-s |
Does not display identical lines. |
-w Number |
Sets the width of the output line. The default value of the Number variable is 130 characters. The maximum width of the Number variable is 2048. The minimum width of the Number variable is 20. The sdiff command uses 2048
if a value greater than 2048 is specified. |
Examples
- To print a comparison of two files, enter:
sdiff chap1.bak chap1
The sdiff command displays a side-by-side listing that compares each line
of the chap1.bak and chap1 files.
- To display only the lines that differ, enter:
sdiff -s -w 80 chap1.bak chap1
The sdiff command displays the differences
at the work station. The -w 80 flag and variable
sets the page width to 80 columns. The -s flag
indicates lines that are identical in both files will not be displayed.
- To selectively combine parts of two files, enter:
sdiff -s -w 80 -o chap1.combo chap1.bak chap1
The sdiff command combines the chap1.bak and chap1 files into a new file called chap1.combo. For each group of differing lines, the sdiff command prompts you which group to keep or whether you want to
edit them using the ed command.
- To combine and edit two files, staff.jan and staff.apr, and write the results
to the staff.year file, perform the steps indicated.
The staff.jan file contains
the following lines:
Members of the Accounting Department
Andrea
George
Karen
Sam
Thomas
The staff.apr file contains the following
lines:
Members of the Accounting Department
Andrea
Fred
Mark
Sam
Wendy
- Enter the following command:
sdiff -o staff.year staff.jan staff.apr
The sdiff
command will begin to compare the contents of the staff.jan and staff.apr files and write the
results to the staff.year file. The sdiff command displays the following:
Members of the Accounting Dept Members of the Accounting Dept
Andrea Andrea
George | Fred
%
The % (percent sign) is the command prompt.
- Enter the e b subcommand
to start editing the output file with the ed command.
The sdiff command displays a sequence
of digits, indicating the byte count of lines being merged. In this case,
the byte count is 23.
- Enter the q subcommand
to exit the ed command and continue combining and editing
the two files. The sdiff command displays the following:
Sam Sam
Thomas | Wendy
- Enter the e b subcommand
again. The ed command must be run each time a set of
lines from the original two files are to be merged into the output file. The
byte count in this instance is 13.
- Enter the q subcommand
to save the changes. When all the lines of the two files have been merged
into the output file, the q subcommand exits the ed and sdiff commands.
The staff.year file now contains the following:
Members of the Accounting Department
Andrea
George
Karen
Fred
Mark
Sam
Thomas
Wendy
Files
/usr/bin/sdiff |
Contains the sdiff command. |
Related Information
The diff command, ed command.
Files Overview, Input and Output Redirection Overview in AIX 5L Version 5.2 System User's Guide: Operating System and Devices.
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