Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!seismo!sundc!pitstop!sun!smile!alanf
From: alanf%smile@Sun.COM (Alan Fargusson @ peace with the world)
Newsgroups: comp.sources.bugs
Subject: Re: bug in public domain diff?
Message-ID: <86924@sun.uucp>
Date: 26 Jan 89 00:26:53 GMT
References: <86247@sun.uucp> <1133@naucse.UUCP>
Sender: news@sun.uucp
Lines: 27

In article <1133@naucse.UUCP>, jdc@naucse.UUCP (John Campbell) writes:
> 
> What we need to know is how "compatible" the various public domain diffs
> are.  Can GNU diff be used with RCS, for instance?  I find the public
> domain diff works well enough (diff -cb) for Larry Wall's patch program,
> but I've heard complaints that there are command options used by RCS that
> don't exist in the public domain version.
> 
> Can anyone summarize the compatibility questions or point to a diff that
> RCS can use (public of course).
> -- 
> 	John Campbell               ...!arizona!naucse!jdc
>                                     CAMPBELL@NAUVAX.bitnet
> 	unix?  Sure send me a dozen, all different colors.

GNU diff looks to be exactly compatible with UNIX diff.  My diff program is
not and I intended it that way.  I do intend to add an output format that does
look like UNIX for Larry Wall's patch program.

The biggest advantage of my diff is that it easy to add output options.
Currently it outputs a human readable format,  a edlin compatible format
(for MS-DOS), and a format for the CP/V editor (you don't want to know).
I guess it is an advantage that mine works on UNIX, MS-DOS (MSC 4.0), and
CP/V with no special care (not even one #ifdef).
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Alan Fargusson		Sun Microsystems
alanf@sun.com		..!sun!alanf