diff

Compare files and directories line-by-line to detect changes and generate patches.

Quick Start

1. Verify diff is available: diff --version or man diff
2. Establish the command surface: man diff or diff --help
3. Start with a read-only comparison: diff file1.txt file2.txt

Intent Router

Load only the reference file needed for the active request.

• references/install-and-setup.md — Installing diff (GNU, BSD) on macOS, Linux, Windows
• references/cheatsheet.md — Common flags, unified diffs, context diffs, side-by-side output, patch generation
• references/advanced-usage.md — Recursive directory comparison, ignore patterns, patch application, three-way merge, performance
• references/troubleshooting.md — Binary file detection, line ending differences (CRLF vs LF), encoding issues, exit codes