git-range-diff(1)
=================

NAME
----
git-range-diff - Compare two commit ranges (e.g. two versions of a branch)

SYNOPSIS
--------
[verse]
'git range-diff' [--color=[<when>]] [--no-color] [<diff-options>]
	[--no-dual-color] [--creation-factor=<factor>]
	[--left-only | --right-only] [--diff-merges=<format>]
	[--remerge-diff]
	( <range1> <range2> | <rev1>...<rev2> | <base> <rev1> <rev2> )
	[[--] <path>...]

DESCRIPTION
-----------

This command shows the differences between two versions of a patch
series, or more generally, two commit ranges (ignoring merge commits).

In the presence of `<path>` arguments, these commit ranges are limited
accordingly.

To that end, it first finds pairs of commits from both commit ranges
that correspond with each other. Two commits are said to correspond when
the diff between their patches (i.e. the author information, the commit
message and the commit diff) is reasonably small compared to the
patches' size. See ``Algorithm`` below for details.

Finally, the list of matching commits is shown in the order of the
second commit range, with unmatched commits being inserted just after
all of their ancestors have been shown.

There are three ways to specify the commit ranges:

- `<range1> <range2>`: Either commit range can be of the form
  `<base>..<rev>`, `<rev>^!` or `<rev>^-<n>`. See `SPECIFYING RANGES`
  in linkgit:gitrevisions[7] for more details.

- `<rev1>...<rev2>`. This is equivalent to
  `<rev2>..<rev1> <rev1>..<rev2>`.

- `<base> <rev1> <rev2>`: This is equivalent to `<base>..<rev1>
  <base>..<rev2>`.

OPTIONS
-------
--no-dual-color::
	When the commit diffs differ, `git range-diff` recreates the
	original diffs' coloring, and adds outer -/+ diff markers with
	the *background* being red/green to make it easier to see e.g.
	when there was a change in what exact lines were added.
+
Additionally, the commit diff lines that are only present in the first commit
range are shown "dimmed" (this can be overridden using the `color.diff.<slot>`
config setting where `<slot>` is one of `contextDimmed`, `oldDimmed` and
`newDimmed`), and the commit diff lines that are only present in the second
commit range are shown in bold (which can be overridden using the config
settings `color.diff.<slot>` with `<slot>` being one of `contextBold`,
`oldBold` or `newBold`).
+
This is known to `range-diff` as "dual coloring". Use `--no-dual-color`
to revert to color all lines according to the outer diff markers
(and completely ignore the inner diff when it comes to color).

--creation-factor=<percent>::
	Set the creation/deletion cost fudge factor to `<percent>`.
	Defaults to 60. Try a larger value if `git range-diff` erroneously
	considers a large change a total rewrite (deletion of one commit
	and addition of another), and a smaller one in the reverse case.
	See the ``Algorithm`` section below for an explanation of why this is
	needed.

--left-only::
	Suppress commits that are missing from the first specified range
	(or the "left range" when using the `<rev1>...<rev2>` format).

--right-only::
	Suppress commits that are missing from the second specified range
	(or the "right range" when using the `<rev1>...<rev2>` format).

--diff-merges=<format>::
	Instead of ignoring merge commits, generate diffs for them using the
	corresponding `--diff-merges=<format>` option of linkgit:git-log[1],
	and include them in the comparison.
+
Note: In the common case, the `remerge` mode will be the most natural one
to use, as it shows only the diff on top of what Git's merge machinery would
have produced. In other words, if a merge commit is the result of a
non-conflicting `git merge`, the `remerge` mode will represent it with an empty
diff.

--remerge-diff::
	Convenience option, equivalent to `--diff-merges=remerge`.

--[no-]notes[=<ref>]::
	This flag is passed to the `git log` program
	(see linkgit:git-log[1]) that generates the patches.

<range1> <range2>::
	Compare the commits specified by the two ranges, where
	`<range1>` is