Raw
1 _<start>_ and _<end>_ can take one of these forms:
2
3 - _<number>_
4 +
5 If _<start>_ or _<end>_ is a number, it specifies an
6 absolute line number (lines count from 1).
7 +
8
9 - `/<regex>/`
10 +
11 This form will use the first line matching the given
12 POSIX _<regex>_. If _<start>_ is a regex, it will search from the end of
13 the previous `-L` range, if any, otherwise from the start of file.
14 If _<start>_ is `^/<regex>/`, it will search from the start of file.
15 If _<end>_ is a regex, it will search starting at the line given by
16 _<start>_.
17 +
18
19 - `+<offset>` or `-<offset>`
20 +
21 This is only valid for _<end>_ and will specify a number
22 of lines before or after the line given by _<start>_.
23
24 +
25 If `:<funcname>` is given in place of _<start>_ and _<end>_, it is a
26 regular expression that denotes the range from the first funcname line
27 that matches _<funcname>_, up to the next funcname line. `:<funcname>`
28 searches from the end of the previous `-L` range, if any, otherwise
29 from the start of file. `^:<funcname>` searches from the start of
30 file. The function names are determined in the same way as `git diff`
31 works out patch hunk headers (see 'Defining a custom hunk-header'
32 in linkgit:gitattributes[5]).