-\input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*-
+\input texinfo @c -*- mode: texinfo; coding: utf-8 -*-
@c documentation for Ediff
@c Written by Michael Kifer
@setfilename ../../info/ediff.info
@settitle Ediff User's Manual
-@documentencoding UTF-8
+@include docstyle.texi
@synindex vr cp
@synindex fn cp
@synindex pg cp
This file documents Ediff, a comprehensive visual interface to Unix diff
and patch utilities.
-Copyright @copyright{} 1995--2015 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+Copyright @copyright{} 1995--2016 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
@quotation
Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
@kindex j
Makes the very first difference region current.
-@kbd{-j} makes the last region current. Typing a number, N, and then `j'
+@kbd{-j} makes the last region current. Typing a number, N, and then @kbd{j}
makes the difference region N current. Typing @minus{}N (a negative number) then
-`j' makes current the region Last @minus{} N.
+@kbd{j} makes current the region Last @minus{} N.
@item ga
@kindex ga
@item m
@kindex m
Displays the current Ediff session in a frame as wide as the physical
-display. This is useful when comparing files side-by-side. Typing `m' again
-restores the original size of the frame.
+display. This is useful when comparing files side-by-side.
+Typing @kbd{m} again restores the original size of the frame.
@item |
@kindex |
amount of white space and line breaks.
Even though such regions will be skipped over, you can still jump to any
-one of them by typing the region number and then `j'. Typing @kbd{##}
+one of them by typing the region number and then @kbd{j}. Typing @kbd{##}
again puts Ediff back in the original state.
@item #c
Ediff works hard to ameliorate the effects of boredom in the workplace...
Quite often differences are due to identical replacements (e.g., the word
-`foo' is replaced with the word `bar' everywhere). If the number of regions
+``foo'' is replaced with the word ``bar'' everywhere). If the number
+of regions
with such boring differences exceeds your tolerance threshold, you may be
tempted to tell Ediff to skip these regions altogether (you will still be able
to jump to them via the command @kbd{j}). The above commands, @kbd{#h}
record or by putting the cursor over it and then typing the return key.
(Some poor souls leave so many active Ediff sessions around that they lose
-track of them completely... The `R' command is designed to save these
+track of them completely... The @kbd{R} command is designed to save these
people from the recently discovered Ediff Proficiency Syndrome.)
Typing @kbd{R} brings up Ediff Registry only if it is typed into an Ediff
ancestor buffer, so the contents of that region in buffer B represents real
change.
-You may want to ignore such `obvious' merges and concentrate on difference
-regions where both files `clash' with the ancestor, since this means that
+You may want to ignore such ``obvious'' merges and concentrate on difference
+regions where both files ``clash'' with the ancestor, since this means that
two different people have been changing this region independently and they
had different ideas on how to do this.
To be more precise, this toggles the check for whether the current merge is
identical to its default setting, as originally decided by Ediff. For
-instance, if Ediff is merging according to the `combined' policy, then the
+instance, if Ediff is merging according to the ``combined'' policy, then the
merge region is skipped over if it is different from the combination of the
regions in buffers A and B@. (Warning: swapping buffers A and B will confuse
-things in this respect.) If the merge region is marked as `prefer-A' then
+things in this respect.) If the merge region is marked as ``prefer-A'' then
this region will be skipped if it differs from the current difference
region in buffer A, etc.
@item s
@kindex s
Causes the merge window shrink to its minimum size, thereby exposing as much
-of the variant buffers as possible. Typing `s' again restores
+of the variant buffers as possible. Typing @kbd{s} again restores
the original size of that window.
With a positive prefix argument, this command enlarges the merge window.
@file{.Xdefaults}, @file{.xrdb}, or whatever X resource file is in use.
With respect to the latter, please note that the X resource
-for Ediff customization is `Ediff', @emph{not} `emacs'.
+for Ediff customization is ``Ediff'', @emph{not} ``emacs''.
@xref{Window and Frame Configuration},
@xref{Highlighting Difference Regions}, for further details. Please also
refer to Emacs manual for the information on how to set Emacs X resources.
adapting itself to the multi-frame mode.
Ediff uses the following variables to set up its control panel
-(a.k.a.@: control buffer, a.k.a.@: quick help window):
+(a.k.a.@: ``control buffer'', a.k.a.@: ``quick help window''):
@table @code
@item ediff-control-frame-parameters
@var{regexp-C}.
Ediff will then start stepping through only those difference regions
where the region in buffer A matches @var{regexp-A} and/or the region in
-buffer B matches @var{regexp-B}, etc. Whether `and' or `or' will be used
+buffer B matches @var{regexp-B}, etc. Whether ``and'' or ``or'' will be used
depends on how you respond to a question.
When scanning difference regions for the aforesaid regular expressions,
@item ediff-patch-options
Options to pass to @code{ediff-patch-program}.
-Note: the `-b' and `-z' options should be specified in
-`ediff-backup-specs', not in @code{ediff-patch-options}.
+Note: the @option{-b} and @option{-z} options should be specified in
+@code{ediff-backup-specs}, not in @code{ediff-patch-options}.
-It is recommended to pass the `-f' option to the patch program, so it won't
+It is recommended to pass the @option{-f} option to the patch program,
+so it won't
ask questions. However, some implementations don't accept this option, in
which case the default value of this variable should be changed.
@item ediff-backup-specs
Backup directives to pass to the patch program.
Ediff requires that the old version of the file (before applying the patch)
-is saved in a file named @file{the-patch-file.extension}. Usually
-`extension' is `.orig', but this can be changed by the user, and may also be
+is saved in a file named @file{the-patch-file.@var{extension}}.
+Usually @var{extension} is @file{.orig}, but this can be changed by
+the user, and may also be
system-dependent. Therefore, Ediff needs to know the backup extension used
by the patch program.
-Some versions of the patch program let the user specify `-b backup-extension'.
-Other versions only permit `-b', which (usually) assumes the extension `.orig'.
-Yet others force you to use `-z<backup-extension>'.
+Some versions of the patch program let the user specify @option{-b
+@var{extension}} to specify a backup file name extension. Other
+versions only permit @option{-b}, which (usually) assumes the
+extension @file{.orig}. Yet others force you to use
+@option{-z@var{extension}}.
-Note that both `ediff-backup-extension' and `ediff-backup-specs' must be
-properly set. If your patch program takes the option `-b', but not
-`-b extension', the variable `ediff-backup-extension' must still
-be set so Ediff will know which extension to use.
+Both @code{ediff-backup-extension} and @var{ediff-backup-specs} must
+be properly set. If your patch program takes the option @option{-b},
+but not @option{-b @var{extension}}, the variable
+@code{ediff-backup-extension} must still be set so Ediff will know
+which extension to use.
@item ediff-custom-diff-program
@itemx ediff-custom-diff-options
redraw the screen. Typing @kbd{s} again restores the original window size.
With a positive prefix argument, the @kbd{s} command will make the merge
-window slightly taller. This change is persistent. With `@kbd{-}' or
+window slightly taller. This change is persistent. With ``@kbd{-}'' or
with a negative prefix argument, the command @kbd{s} makes the merge
window slightly shorter. This change also persistent.
Dan Nicolaescu (dann at ics.uci.edu),
David Petchey (petchey_david at jpmorgan.com),
Benjamin Pierce (benjamin.pierce at cl.cam.ac.uk),
-Francois Pinard (pinard at iro.umontreal.ca),
+Franรงois Pinard (pinard at iro.umontreal.ca),
Tibor Polgar (tlp00 at spg.amdahl.com),
David Prince (dave0d at fegs.co.uk),
Paul Raines (raines at slac.stanford.edu),