(diffutils.info)Merging with patch

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10 Merging with 'patch'
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'patch' takes comparison output produced by 'diff' and applies the
differences to a copy of the original file, producing a patched version.
With 'patch', you can distribute just the changes to a set of files
instead of distributing the entire file set; your correspondents can
apply 'patch' to update their copy of the files with your changes.
'patch' automatically determines the diff format, skips any leading or
trailing headers, and uses the headers to determine which file to patch.
This lets your correspondents feed a mail message containing a
difference listing directly to 'patch'.

   'patch' detects and warns about common problems like forward patches.
It saves any patches that it could not apply.  It can also maintain a
'patchlevel.h' file to ensure that your correspondents apply diffs in
the proper order.

   'patch' accepts a series of diffs in its standard input, usually
separated by headers that specify which file to patch.  It applies
'diff' hunks (Note: Hunks) one by one.  If a hunk does not exactly
match the original file, 'patch' uses heuristics to try to patch the
file as well as it can.  If no approximate match can be found, 'patch'
rejects the hunk and skips to the next hunk.  'patch' normally replaces
each file F with its new version, putting reject hunks (if any) into
'F.rej'.

   Note: Invoking patch, for detailed information on the options to
'patch'.

patch Input

Selecting the type of 'patch' input.

Revision Control

Getting files from RCS, SCCS, etc.

Imperfect

Dealing with imperfect patches.

Creating and Removing

Creating and removing files with a patch.

Patching Timestamps

Updating timestamps on patched files.

Multiple Patches

Handling multiple patches in a file.

patch Directories

Changing directory and stripping directories.

Backups

Whether backup files are made.

Backup Names

Backup file names.

Reject Names

Reject file names.

patch Messages

Messages and questions 'patch' can produce.

patch and POSIX

Conformance to the POSIX standard.

patch and Tradition

GNU versus traditional 'patch'.