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git diff

Description:
Show differences between commits, branches, working directory, and staging area. Essential for reviewing changes before committing.

Syntax:

git diff
git diff --staged
git diff <commit> <commit>
git diff <branch> <branch>

Examples:

# Show unstaged changes
git diff

# Show staged changes (what will be committed)
git diff --staged
# or
git diff --cached

# Compare two commits
git diff abc123 def456

# Compare current branch with another branch
git diff main feature/login

# Show changes for specific file
git diff path/to/file.txt

# Compare with remote branch
git diff origin/main

Detailed Explanation:

• Line-by-line comparison: Shows exactly what changed, with + for additions and - for deletions
• Three comparison modes: Working directory vs staging, staging vs last commit, or any two commits
• Context lines: Shows a few unchanged lines around changes for context
• Color coding: Green for additions, red for deletions (if colors are enabled)

Common Errors:

• fatal: ambiguous argument → Solution: Check branch/commit names for typos
• No output from git diff → Solution: No changes in working directory; try git diff --staged

Pro Tips:

• Use git diff --word-diff for word-by-word comparison instead of line-by-line
• Use git diff --stat for a summary of changed files without details
• Review before committing: git diff --staged shows exactly what will be committed
• Use git diff HEAD to see all changes since last commit (staged + unstaged)
• Compare specific file between branches: git diff branch1 branch2 -- file.txt

Related Commands:

• git status – See which files changed
• git add – Stage changes
• git commit – Save changes
• git show – View changes in a specific commit

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Quick Reference

Command	Description
git init	Initialize new repository
git clone <url>	Copy remote repository
git add <file>	Stage changes
git commit -m "msg"	Save staged changes
git status	Check repository state
git log	View commit history
git diff	Show changes

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