---
title: bqrs diff
versions: # DO NOT MANUALLY EDIT. CHANGES WILL BE OVERWRITTEN BY A 🤖
  fpt: '*'
  ghec: '*'
  ghes: '*'
topics:
  - Code Security
  - Code scanning
  - CodeQL
type: reference
product: '{% data reusables.gated-features.codeql %}'
autogenerated: codeql-cli
intro: Compute the difference between two result sets.
redirect_from:
  - /code-security/codeql-cli/manual/bqrs-diff
---


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{% data reusables.codeql-cli.man-pages-version-note %}

## Synopsis

```shell copy
codeql bqrs diff <options>... -- <file1> <file2>
```

## Description

Compute the difference between two result sets.

## Options

### Primary Options

#### `<file1>`

\[Mandatory] First BQRS file to compare.

#### `<file2>`

\[Mandatory] Second BQRS file to compare.

#### `--left=<file>`

Write rows only present in `file1` to this file.

#### `--right=<file>`

Write rows only present in `file2` to this file.

#### `--both=<file>`

Write rows present in both `file1` and `file2` to this file.

#### `--retain-result-sets=<result-set>[,<result-set>...]`

Comma-separated list of result set names to copy directly to the
corresponding output instead of comparing. If --both is given, that
output is taken from `file1`. Defaults to 'nodes,edges,subpaths' to
simplify handling of path-problem results.

#### `--[no-]compare-internal-ids`

\[Advanced] Include internal entity IDs in the comparison. Entity IDs
are not comparable across databases, but for result sets that originate
from the same database this can help distinguish entities with the same
location and label.

### Common options

#### `-h, --help`

Show this help text.

#### `-J=<opt>`

\[Advanced] Give option to the JVM running the command.

(Beware that options containing spaces will not be handled correctly.)

#### `-v, --verbose`

Incrementally increase the number of progress messages printed.

#### `-q, --quiet`

Incrementally decrease the number of progress messages printed.

#### `--verbosity=<level>`

\[Advanced] Explicitly set the verbosity level to one of errors,
warnings, progress, progress+, progress++, progress+++. Overrides `-v`
and `-q`.

#### `--logdir=<dir>`

\[Advanced] Write detailed logs to one or more files in the given
directory, with generated names that include timestamps and the name of
the running subcommand.

(To write a log file with a name you have full control over, instead
give `--log-to-stderr` and redirect stderr as desired.)

#### `--common-caches=<dir>`

\[Advanced] Controls the location of cached data on disk that will
persist between several runs of the CLI, such as downloaded QL packs and
compiled query plans. If not set explicitly, this defaults to a
directory named `.codeql` in the user's home directory; it will be
created if it doesn't already exist.

Available since `v2.15.2`.