sdiff MacOS command

The sdiff command in MacOS allows users to compare two text files side by side, highlighting the differences between them. This can be extremely useful for identifying changes between two versions of a file, merging changes, or resolving conflicts. By default, sdiff shows the lines that differ between the two files, but it also provides options for customizing the output format. Users can specify how to display changes, ignore whitespace, and handle merges. Additionally, sdiff can be used in conjunction with other commands and features in MacOS, such as piping output or redirecting output to a file. Overall, sdiff is a versatile and powerful tool for text file comparison and merging in the MacOS environment.

sdiff Syntax:

sdiff [option] file1 file2

Options:

Option	Description
-o	Specify the output file name
-s	Report if the files are the same
-w	Specify the width of the output columns
-l	Specify the number of lines to read at once
-t	Expand tabs to spaces in the output
-e	Ignore changes involving spaces
-i	Ignore changes in case when comparing lines
-B	Ignore changes involving blank lines
-E	Treat all white space characters as equal

Parameters:

Parameter	Description
file1	The first file to be compared
file2	The second file to be compared

sdiff bash Examples:

Compare two text files

sdiff file1.txt file2.txt

Compares the contents of two text files and highlights the differences.

Ignore leading white spaces

sdiff -w40 file1.txt file2.txt

Compares two files but ignores differences in leading white spaces up to 40 characters.

Side by side output

sdiff -s file1.txt file2.txt

Displays the differences in a side by side format for easy comparison.

Suppress common lines

sdiff -l file1.txt file2.txt

Shows only the differing lines and suppresses common lines from the output.

Merge changes interactively

sdiff -o output.txt -e file1.txt file2.txt

Interactive mode to merge changes from two files into an output file.

Define a custom separator

sdiff -t "| " file1.txt file2.txt

Uses a custom separator (”| ”) instead of the default tab to display differences.

sdiff Command Help Center:

How do I use sdiff in MacOS?

To use the sdiff command in MacOS, execute the following command:

sdiff file1.txt file2.txt

What are the options available with sdiff in MacOS?

To view the available options with the sdiff command in MacOS, use the —help flag:

sdiff --help

How can I display the output of sdiff side by side in MacOS?

When using sdiff in MacOS and wanting to display the output in two columns (side by side), you can use the -o flag:

sdiff -o output.txt file1.txt file2.txt

Can sdiff in MacOS ignore whitespace differences in the files being compared?

Yes, to ignore whitespace differences when using sdiff in MacOS, you can use the -w flag:

sdiff -w file1.txt file2.txt

How do I merge differences interactively with sdiff in MacOS?

To merge differences interactively using sdiff in MacOS, you can use the -M flag:

sdiff -o output.txt -M file1.txt file2.txt

Can I customize the output format of sdiff in MacOS?

Yes, you can customize the output format of sdiff in MacOS using the -l flag:

sdiff -l file1.txt file2.txt

How can I suppress common lines and display only unique lines with sdiff in MacOS?

To suppress common lines and display only unique lines when using sdiff in MacOS, you can use the -s flag:

sdiff -s file1.txt file2.txt

Is it possible to adjust the number of columns when using sdiff in MacOS?

Yes, you can adjust the number of columns when using sdiff in MacOS by specifying the column width with the -W flag:

sdiff -W 80 file1.txt file2.txt

Applications of the sdiff command

Comparing two text files
Showing differences between two text files side by side
Highlighting changes between two text files
Merging changes from two different versions of a file