xdelta

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xdelta is a command-line program which provides the ability to generate differences between a pair of files. It operates similar to the diff and patch commands, but works on binary files and does not produce a human readable output.

First released in 1997^[1], the xdelta algorithm is based on the rsync algorithm, first developed by Andrew Tridgell. xdelta was written by, and is still updated by Joshua MacDonald.

The newest generation of the program, xdelta3, has several unique features. It produces output in the standardized VCDIFF format, making it compatible with other binary delta encoding software that uses the standard. The program currently runs on Unix, Linux, BSD, and Microsoft Windows-based systems. xdelta efficiently^[2] supports files as large as 2⁶⁴ bytes on all platforms, making xdelta3 suitable for use with large backup files.

[edit] See also

• Delta encoding

[edit] References

1. ^ mention of first version
2. ^ xdelta3 memory tuning

[edit] External links

• Official homepage
• Andrew Tridgell's PHD on rsync, with a section on xdelta
• RFC 3284, specification for the VCDIFF generic delta encoding format
• Xdelta implemented in java