SDIFF(1) User Commands SDIFF(1)

# [NAME](#NAME)

sdiff - side-by-side merge of file differences

# [SYNOPSIS](#SYNOPSIS)

**sdiff** \[*OPTION*]... *FILE1 FILE2*

# [DESCRIPTION](#DESCRIPTION)

Side-by-side merge of differences between FILE1 and FILE2.

Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.

[**-o**, **--output**=*FILE*](#o)

operate interactively, sending output to FILE

[**-i**, **--ignore-case**](#i)

consider upper- and lower-case to be the same

[**-E**, **--ignore-tab-expansion**](#E)

ignore changes due to tab expansion

[**-Z**, **--ignore-trailing-space**](#Z)

ignore white space at line end

[**-b**, **--ignore-space-change**](#b)

ignore changes in the amount of white space

[**-W**, **--ignore-all-space**](#W)

ignore all white space

[**-B**, **--ignore-blank-lines**](#B)

ignore changes whose lines are all blank

[**-I**, **--ignore-matching-lines**=*RE*](#I)

ignore changes all whose lines match RE

[**--strip-trailing-cr**](#strip)

strip trailing carriage return on input

[**-a**, **--text**](#a)

treat all files as text

[**-w**, **--width**=*NUM*](#w)

output at most NUM (default 130) print columns

[**-l**, **--left-column**](#l)

output only the left column of common lines

[**-s**, **--suppress-common-lines**](#s)

do not output common lines

[**-t**, **--expand-tabs**](#t)

expand tabs to spaces in output

[**--tabsize**=*NUM*](#tabsize)

tab stops at every NUM (default 8) print columns

[**-d**, **--minimal**](#d)

try hard to find a smaller set of changes

[**-H**, **--speed-large-files**](#H)

assume large files, many scattered small changes

[**--diff-program**=*PROGRAM*](#diff)

use PROGRAM to compare files

[**--help**](#help)

display this help and exit

[**-v**, **--version**](#v)

output version information and exit

If a FILE is '-', read standard input. Exit status is 0 if inputs are the same, 1 if different, 2 if trouble.

# [AUTHOR](#AUTHOR)

Written by Thomas Lord.

# [REPORTING BUGS](#REPORTING_BUGS)

Report bugs to: bug-diffutils@gnu.org  
GNU diffutils home page: <https://www.gnu.org/software/diffutils/>  
General help using GNU software: <https://www.gnu.org/gethelp/>

# [COPYRIGHT](#COPYRIGHT)

Copyright © 2025 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.  
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

# [SEE ALSO](#SEE_ALSO)

[**cmp**(1)](/man/os/diffutils/cmp.1), [**diff**(1)](/man/os/diffutils/diff.1), [**diff3**(1)](/man/os/diffutils/diff3.1)

The full documentation for **sdiff** is maintained as a Texinfo manual. If the **info** and **sdiff** programs are properly installed at your site, the command

**info sdiff**

should give you access to the complete manual.

October 2026 diffutils 3.12

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Document: sdiff(1) from diffutils 3.12-r10 (Chainguard OS)
Source: https://git.savannah.gnu.org/git/diffutils.git