“diffstat” is a tool that takes the output of the “diff” command, which shows differences between files, and generates a histogram or summary of the changes. The resulting histogram provides a concise overview of the modifications made, making it easier to understand the scope and nature of the differences.
The primary purpose of “diffstat” is to present a summary of changes in a visual and readable format, particularly for situations where there are numerous file modifications. Instead of examining the entire “diff” output line by line, “diffstat” condenses the information into a histogram, allowing users to quickly grasp the overall impact of the changes.
When used with the output of the “diff” command, “diffstat” analyzes the diff lines that indicate additions, deletions, or modifications in the files. It then tallies the number of changes for each file and generates a histogram that displays the summarized information.
The histogram generated by “diffstat” typically includes the filenames, along with a visual representation of the changes made. The visual representation often consists of plus (+) and minus (-) symbols to indicate the number of additions or deletions in each file. Additionally, numerical statistics may be included, indicating the total number of lines added or deleted.
By examining the histogram created by “diffstat,” users can quickly identify files with significant changes, understand the magnitude of modifications, and focus on the areas of the code or text that have undergone substantial revisions. This can be particularly helpful in software development projects, collaborative writing, or when reviewing changes in version control systems.
It’s important to note that “diffstat” relies on the output of the “diff” command as its input. Therefore, it is necessary to execute the “diff” command first, providing the two versions of the files or directories to compare, and then pass the “diff” output to “diffstat” for summarization.
diffstat Command Examples
1. Display changes in a histogram:
# diff file1 file2 | diffstat
2. Display inserted, deleted and modified changes as a table:
# diff file1 file2 | diffstat -t
Summary
In summary, “diffstat” is a tool that generates a histogram or summary from the output of the “diff” command. It condenses the information about file modifications into a visual representation, allowing users to quickly understand the scope and impact of the changes. By providing a concise overview, “diffstat” facilitates the analysis of differences and aids in identifying files with significant modifications.