NUMDIFF(1)							   User Commands							NUMDIFF(1)

NAME

       numdiff - compare similar files with numeric fields

DESCRIPTION

       Usage: numdiff -h|--help|-v|--version   or

       numdiff	[-s  IFS][-a  THRVAL[:RANGE|:RANGE1:RANGE2]][-r  THRVAL[:RANGE|:RANGE1:RANGE2]][-2][-F	NUM][-#  NUM][-P][-N][-I][-c  CURRNAME][-d
       C1C2][-t C1C2][-g  N1N2][-p  C1C2][-n  C1C2][-e	C1C2][-i  C1C2][-X  1:RANGE][-X  2:RANGE][-E][-D][-b][-V][-O[NUM]][-q][-S][-z  1:RANGE][-z
       2:RANGE][-Z 1:RANGE][-Z 2:RANGE][-m][-H][-f[NUM]][-T][-B][-l PATH][-o PATH] FILE1 FILE2

       Compare putatively similar files line by line and field by field, ignoring small numeric differences or/and different numeric formats.

       RANGE,  RANGE1  and RANGE2 stay for a positive integer value or for a range of integer values, like 1-, 3-5 or -7.  The two arguments after
       the options are the names of the files to compare.  The complete paths of the files should be given, a directory name is not accepted.  The
       given paths cannot refer to the same file but one of them can be "-", which refers to stdin.

       Exit status: 1 if files differ, 0 if they are equal, -1 (255) in case of error

       -s, --separator=IFS

	      Specify the set of characters to use to split the input lines into fields (The default set of characters is space, tab and newline).
	      If IFS is prefixed with 1: or 2: then use the given character set only for the lines from the first or the second file respectively

       -a, --absolute-tolerance=THRVAL[:RANGE|:RANGE1:RANGE2]

	      Set to THRVAL the maximum absolute difference permitted before that two numeric fields are regarded as different (The default  value
	      is zero).  If a RANGE is given, use the specified threshold only when comparing fields whose positions lie in RANGE.  If both RANGE1
	      and RANGE2 are given and have the same length, then use the specified threshold when comparing a field of FILE1 lying in RANGE1 with
	      the corresponding field of FILE2 in RANGE2

       -r, --relative-tolerance=THRVAL[:RANGE|:RANGE1:RANGE2]

	      Set  to THRVAL the maximum relative difference permitted before that two numeric fields are regarded as different (The default value
	      is zero).  If a RANGE is given, use the specified threshold only when comparing fields whose positions lie in RANGE.  If both RANGE1
	      and RANGE2 are given and have the same length, then use the specified threshold when comparing a field of FILE1 lying in RANGE1 with
	      the corresponding field of FILE2 in RANGE2

       -2, --strict

	      Consider two numerical values as equal only if both absolute and relative difference  do	not  exceed  the  corresponding  tolerance
	      threshold

       -F, --formula=NUM

	      Use  the formula indicated by NUM to compute the relative errors.  If 'NUM' is 0 use the classic formula.  If 'NUM' is 1 compute the
	      relative errors by considering the values in FILE1 as sample values.  If 'NUM' is 2 compute the relative errors by  considering  the
	      values in FILE2 as sample values.

       -#, --digits=NUM

	      Set to NUM the number of digits in the significands used in multiple precision arithmetic

       -P, --positive-differences

	      Ignore  all  differences	due  to numeric fields of the second file that are less than the corresponding numeric fields in the first
	      file

       -N, --negative-differences

	      Ignore all differences due to numeric fields of the second file that are greater than the corresponding numeric fields in the  first
	      file

       -I, --ignore-case

	      Ignore changes in case while doing literal comparisons

       -c, --currency=CURRNAME

	      Set  to  CURRNAME  the  currency name for the two files to compare.  CURRNAME must be prefixed with 1: or 2: to specify the currency
	      name only for the first or the second file

       -d, --decimal-point=C1C2

	      Specify the characters representing the decimal point in the two files to compare

       -t, --thousands-separator=C1C2

	      Specify the characters representing the thousands separator in the two files to compare

       -g, --group-length=N1N2

	      Specify the number of digits forming each group of thousands in the two files to compare

       -p, --plus-prefix=C1C2

	      Specify the (optional) prefixes for positive values used in the two files to compare

       -n, --minus-prefix=C1C2

	      Specify the prefixes for negative values used in the two files to compare

       -e, --exponent-letter=C1C2

	      Specify the exponent letters used in the two files to compare

       -i, --imaginary-unit=C1C2

	      Specify the characters representing the imaginary unit in the two files to compare

       -X, --exclude=1:RANGE

	      Select the fields of the first file that have to be ignored

       -X, --exclude=2:RANGE

	      Select the fields of the second file that have to be ignored

       -E, --essential

	      While printing the differences between the two compared files show only the numerical ones

       -D, --dummy

	      While printing the differences between the two compared files neglect all the numerical ones (dummy mode)

       -b, --brief

	      Suppress all messages concerning the differences discovered in the structures of the two files

       -V, --verbose

	      For every couple of lines which differ in at least one field print an header to show how these lines  appear  in	the  two  compared
	      files

       -O, --overview[=NUM]

	      Display a side by side difference listing of the two files showing which lines are present only in one file, which lines are present
	      in both files but with one or more differing fields, and which lines are identical.  If 'NUM' is zero or is not specified, output at
	      most 130 columns per line.  If 'NUM' is a positive number, output at most 'NUM' columns per line.  If 'NUM' is a negative number, do
	      not output common lines and display at most -'NUM' columns per line.

       -q, --quiet, --silent

	      Suppress all the standard output

       -S, --statistics

	      Add some statistics to the standard output

       -z, --blur-if-numerical=1:RANGE

	      Select the fields of the first file that have to be blurred during the synchronization procedure only if they turn out to be numeric

       -z, --blur-if-numerical=2:RANGE

	      Select the fields of the second file that have to be blurred during the synchronization procedure  only  if  they  turn  out  to	be
	      numeric

       -Z, --blur-unconditionally=1:RANGE

	      Select the fields of the first file that have to be unconditionally blurred during the synchronization procedure

       -Z, --blur-unconditionally=2:RANGE

	      Select the fields of the second file that have to be unconditionally blurred during the synchronization procedure

       -m, --minimal

	      During synchronization try hard to find a smaller set of changes

       -H, --speed-large-files

	      During synchronization assume large files and many scattered small changes

       -f, --test-filter[=NUM]

	      Run  only  the  filter and then show the results of its attempt to synchronize the two files.  If 'NUM' is zero or is not specified,
	      output at most 130 columns per line.  If 'NUM' is a positive number, output at most 'NUM' columns per line.  If 'NUM' is a  negative
	      number, do not output common lines and display at most -'NUM' columns per line.

       -T, --expand-tabs

	      Expand  tabs to spaces in output while displaying the results of the synchronization procedure (meaningful only together with option
	      -O or -f)

       -B, --binary

	      Treat both files as binary files (only meaningful under Doz/Windoz)

       -l, --warnings-to=PATH

	      Redirect warning and error messages from stderr to the indicated file

       -o, --output=PATH

	      Redirect output from stdout to the indicated file

       -h, --help

	      Show help message and predefined settings

       -v, --version

	      Show version number, Copyright, Distribution Terms and NO-Warranty

Default numeric format (for both files to compare):
       Currency name = ""
       Decimal point = `.'
       Thousands separator = `,'
       Number of digits in each thousands group = 3
       Leading positive sign = `+'
       Leading negative sign = `-'
       Prefix for decimal exponent = `e'
       Symbol used to denote the imaginary unit = `i'

COPYRIGHT

       Copyright (C) 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012  Ivano Primi <ivprimi@libero.it>
       License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later, see <http://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

       The full documentation for numdiff is maintained as a Texinfo manual.  If the info and numdiff programs	are  properly  installed  at  your
       site, the command

	      info numdiff

       should give you access to the complete manual.

numdiff 5.6.0							   January 2012 							NUMDIFF(1)