---
name: "sdiff"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "diffutils"
version: "3.12-2"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux", "freebsd", "openbsd", "macos"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/sdiff"
---

# sdiff(1)

side-by-side merge of file differences

## NAME

sdiff - side-by-side merge of file differences

## SYNOPSIS

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

## 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*

  operate interactively, sending output to FILE

- **-i**, **--ignore-case**

  consider upper- and lower-case to be the same

- **-E**, **--ignore-tab-expansion**

  ignore changes due to tab expansion

- **-Z**, **--ignore-trailing-space**

  ignore white space at line end

- **-b**, **--ignore-space-change**

  ignore changes in the amount of white space

- **-W**, **--ignore-all-space**

  ignore all white space

- **-B**, **--ignore-blank-lines**

  ignore changes whose lines are all blank

- **-I**, **--ignore-matching-lines**=*RE*

  ignore changes all whose lines match RE

- **--strip-trailing-cr**

  strip trailing carriage return on input

- **-a**, **--text**

  treat all files as text

- **-w**, **--width**=*NUM*

  output at most NUM (default 130) print columns

- **-l**, **--left-column**

  output only the left column of common lines

- **-s**, **--suppress-common-lines**

  do not output common lines

- **-t**, **--expand-tabs**

  expand tabs to spaces in output

- **--tabsize**=*NUM*

  tab stops at every NUM (default 8) print columns

- **-d**, **--minimal**

  try hard to find a smaller set of changes

- **-H**, **--speed-large-files**

  assume large files, many scattered small changes

- **--diff-program**=*PROGRAM*

  use PROGRAM to compare files

- **--help**

  display this help and exit

- **-v**, **--version**

  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

Written by Thomas Lord.

## 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 © 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

[**cmp**(1)](/cmp/1.md), [**diff**(1)](/diff/1.md), [**diff3**(1)](/diff3/1.md)

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.