# The `diff/sdiff` command This command is used to display the differences in the files by comparing the files line by line. ### Syntax: ``` diff [options] File1 File2 ``` ### Example 1. Lets say we have two files with names a.txt and b.txt containing 5 Indian states as follows-: ``` $ cat a.txt Gujarat Uttar Pradesh Kolkata Bihar Jammu and Kashmir $ cat b.txt Tamil Nadu Gujarat Andhra Pradesh Bihar Uttar pradesh ``` On typing the diff command we will get below output. ``` $ diff a.txt b.txt 0a1 > Tamil Nadu 2,3c3 < Uttar Pradesh Andhra Pradesh 5c5 Uttar pradesh ``` ### Flags and their Functionalities |**Short Flag** |**Description** | |--|--| | `-c`|To view differences in context mode, use the -c option. | | `-u`|To view differences in unified mode, use the -u option. It is similar to context mode | |`-i`|By default this command is case sensitive. To make this command case in-sensitive use -i option with diff. | |`-version`|This option is used to display the version of diff which is currently running on your system. |