Launch emacs with ediff-files (of ediff-directories) from command line

Question

I would like to launch emacs to ediff either files or directories. For example, I'd like something like:

emacs -f ediff-files file1 file2

But when I do this, it doesn't take file1 and file2 as the two files to diff. Rather, emacs prompts me for the files to difference.

Does anyone know how to do this in one command line?

Answer 1

Given the command line option description from Emacs manual:

‘-f function’ ‘--funcall=function’ Call Lisp function function. If it is an interactive function (a command), it reads the arguments interactively just as if you had called the same function with a key sequence. Otherwise, it calls the function with no arguments.

this is expected. You can try using -e instead:

‘--eval=expression’ ‘--execute=expression’ Evaluate Lisp expression expression.

You'll probably need something like this:

emacs --eval '(ediff-files "file1" "file2")'

Check this for something that looks like a ready-made script you can use:

• http://defunitive.wordpress.com/2011/07/23/invoking-emacs-ediff-from-the-command-line/

An alternative is shown on the Ediff mode manual page:

• http://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/EdiffMode#toc2

which adds a command line switch -diff:

(defun command-line-diff (switch)
  (let ((file1 (pop command-line-args-left))
        (file2 (pop command-line-args-left)))
    (ediff file1 file2)))

(add-to-list 'command-switch-alist '("diff" . command-line-diff))

;; Usage: emacs -diff file1 file2