.PATCH File Extension

2 file types use the .patch file extension.

Patch File

Developer Matt Mackall
Popularity
3.9  |  141 Votes
 

What is a PATCH file?

File created by Mercurial, a control management developer tool; contains the differences between two different versions of the same text or source file; used by developers that are making changes to different versions of the same file; enables updating of older text files to newer version text files.

More Information

The "patch" command searches for the line that starts with the string diff -, once it finds that string, it knows that that's the beginning of the patch content.

Mercurial is mostly written in the Python and C languages.

NOTE: Also known as .DIFF files because they were originally created by the diff command.

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Programs that open or reference PATCH files

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Starbound Patch File

Developer Chucklefish
Popularity
2.0  |  1 Vote
 

A PATCH file contains information that modifies gameplay in Starbound, a 2D space exploration game. It stores plain text formatted in the Starbound Patch structure, which includes four code groups describing the operations performed on gameplay files as part of a game mod. For example, a PATCH file can modify the player.config file to change a player's capabilities.

More Information

Screenshot of a .patch file in Microsoft Visual Studio Code 1.9
PATCH file open in Microsoft Visual Studio Code 1.9

PATCH files are useful for Starbound players who want to adjust gameplay without directly altering or erasing original files. Instead, they can create a PATCH file and define operations within it to make the desired changes to a gameplay file that Starbound references and applies.

Examples of possible operations:

  • Add - Adds a new argument to a file.
  • Copy - Copies a value from one location to another.
  • Replace - Replaces a value with a new one.
  • Move - Moves a value to a different location.
  • Remove - Removes a specific argument.
  • Test - Tests a set of arguments to verify that they work before applying the patch.

Starbound users place PATCH files in the same directory as the gameplay files they modify with the .patch extension appended to the end of the filename. For example, a user will place an example.config.patch file in the same directory as the example.config file it modifies.

How to open a PATCH file

You can open and edit PATCH file with a source code editor, such as Microsoft Visual Studio Code, which provides helpful syntax-highlighting capabilities. Plain text editors, including Microsoft Notepad and Apple TextEdit, can also open and edit PATCH files but do not provide helpful editing features that source code editors offer.

Programs that open PATCH files

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