# Patch files

Cover Optimize uses a patch file. The exact patch file you need depends on your setup, but here are some examples using `git diff`. The variable `DIFFBLUE_PATCH` represents the name of your patch file.

***

For a patch containing commits newer than the project's origin (i.e. the corresponding branch on the remote repository your local branch was created from):

```groovy
git diff $(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD)...HEAD > $DIFFBLUE_PATCH
```

***

For a patch containing commits on your branch newer than those on the local copy of `TARGET_BRANCH` (e.g. where `TARGET_BRANCH` is `develop`):

```groovy
git diff TARGET_BRANCH...HEAD > $DIFFBLUE_PATCH
```

***

For a patch containing commits on your branch newer than those on the remote host `TARGET_BRANCH` (e.g. where `REMOTE` is `origin` and `REMOTE/TARGET_BRANCH` is `origin/develop`):

```groovy
git fetch REMOTE
git diff REMOTE/TARGET_BRANCH...HEAD > $DIFFBLUE_PATCH
```

***

For a patch containing only currently uncommitted changes:

```groovy
git diff > $DIFFBLUE_PATCH
```


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