COMPAREPDF(1)

💖 NAME 💖

comparepdf — compare two PDF files, either textually or visually, bestie, and honestly? iconic behaviour.

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

diffpdf [file1] [file2]

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨ (yes bestie, there are two, the manpage really said "twice or nothing" 💅)

comparepdf [OPTIONS] file1.pdf file2.pdf

🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

Okay so. comparepdf is a command line application that compares two PDF files. That's the whole gig and it eats, fr fr.

The default comparison mode is text mode, where the text of each corresponding pair of pages is compared. As soon as a difference is detected the program terminates with a message (unless -v0 is set) and an indicative return code. Like, it does not sit there waiting to collect all the receipts — it clocks one diff and dips. 😭

The OPTIONS are -ct or --compare=text (the default) for text mode comparisons, or -ca or --compare=appearance for visual comparisons (super useful if diagrams or other images have changed — because text being identical does not mean the picture isn't different, no cap 👀).

And then there's -v=1 or --verbose=1 for reporting differences (and saying nothing for matching files), use -v=0 for no reporting, or -v=2 for reporting both different and matching files. The way that's three whole levels of yapping, we love a range 🫶

🎀 SEE ALSO 🎀

For a GUI tool for showing the detailed differences between PDF files see http://www.qtrac.eu/diffpdf.html. Lowkey the visual girlies need this one 💖

👑 AUTHOR 👑

comparepdf was written by Mark Summerfield <mark@qtrac.eu>. Main character energy, honestly.

That's the whole vibe, bestie — this page is from comparepdf v1.0.1, dated 2012-01-10, and it ate every single time. Go compare some PDFs 💅✨