bdiff(C)                        19 June 1992                        bdiff(C)


 Name

    bdiff - compare files too large for diff(C)

 Syntax

    bdiff file1 file2 [ n ] [ -s ]

 Description

    The bdiff command compares two files, finds lines that are different, and
    prints them on the standard output.  It allows processing of files that
    are too large for diff.  bdiff splits each file into n-line segments,
    beginning with the first non-matching lines, and invokes diff upon the
    corresponding segments.  The arguments are:

    n  The number of lines bdiff splits each file into for processing. The
       default value is 3500. This is useful when 3500-line segments are too
       large for diff.

    -s Suppresses printing of bdiff diagnostics.  Note that this does not
       suppress printing of diagnostics from diff.

    If file1 (or file2) is a dash (-), the standard input is read.

    The output of bdiff is exactly that of diff.  Line numbers are adjusted
    to account for the segmenting of the files, and the output looks as if
    the files had been processed whole.

 File

    /tmp/bd?????

 See also

    diff(C)

 Notes

    Because of the segmenting of the files, bdiff does not necessarily find a
    smallest sufficient set of file differences.

    Specify the maximum number of lines if the first difference is too far
    down in the file for diff and an error is received.