Patch File Format

A Patch File Format is a file format that encodes code differences between file versions for software patch tasks.

• AKA: Diff Format, Patch Format, Delta Format, Change File Format, Difference File Format.
• Context:
  • It can typically represent Line Additions, Line Deletions, and Line Modifications in text files.
  • It can typically include File Headers with file path information.
  • It can typically contain Context Lines for patch location identification.
  • It can often encode Binary Data Changes using base64 encoding scheme.
  • It can often preserve File Permissions and File Attributes.
  • It can often support Multiple File Changes in a single patch file.
  • It can include Patch Metadata such as creation timestamps and author information.
  • It can range from being a Unified Diff Format to being a Context Diff Format, depending on its diff style.
  • It can range from being a Text Patch Format to being a Binary Patch Format, depending on its content encoding type.
  • It can range from being a Simple Patch Format to being an Extended Patch Format, depending on its feature support level.
  • It can range from being a Git Patch Format to being a Traditional Patch Format, depending on its version control system integration.
  • ...
• Examples:
  • Standard Diff Formats, such as:
    • Unified Diff Format with context markers.
    • Context Diff Format with section markers.
    • Normal Diff Format with change commands.
  • Version Control Formats, such as:
    • Git Patch Format with commit metadata.
    • Subversion Patch Format with property changes.
  • Specialized Patch Formats, such as:
    • Binary Diff Format for executable file patches.
    • XML Patch Format for structured document patches.
  • ...
• Counter-Examples:
  • Source Code File, which contains complete program code rather than code differences.
  • Archive Format, which packages complete file collections rather than file changes.
  • Log File Format, which records system events rather than code differences.
• See: Software Patch, Apply Patch Tool, Code Diff Algorithm, File Format, Version Control System, Git Apply Command, Patch Generation Tool, File Comparison Tool, Text Processing Format, Git Format-Patch Command.

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