Diff

Updated: 12/31/2022 by Computer Hope
Five apples in a row, with a red apple in the middle.

Diff may refer to any of the following:

1. Alternatively called compare, diff is short for different or difference and describes a program's ability to show the difference between two or more files. Diff is an invaluable tool in programming as it enables a developer to see what has changed in-between versions.

Tip

Using a revision control system like Git is also a good way to help track changes and find differences.

2. Diff is used in games like Overwatch to let others know that a team won because they had a better (different) character. For example, someone might say "tank diff," which indicates the player playing the tank role made the difference in the win.

Using this term is toxic because it's used to make one or more players feel like they were the reason a team lost.

Compare, CVS, Dif, Diffchecker, Game terms, Programming terms