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DDevToolery

Using the diff tools

Split, inline and unified views, and when to turn on structural comparison.

Paste the original on the left and the changed version on the right. The comparison updates as you type.

The three views

  • Split — the two versions side by side, aligned line for line. Best on a wide screen.
  • Inline — one column, additions and removals interleaved. Better on a narrow screen.
  • Unified — the patch format git produces, which you can copy or download and apply with git apply.

Structural comparison

In the JSON and YAML diff tools there is a Structural comparison switch. With it on, both sides are parsed and the values are compared, so reindentation and reordered keys do not appear as changes. You get a table of paths that genuinely differ.

Leave it off when you care about the file as text — reviewing a formatting change, for instance.

Ignoring noise

Ignore whitespace collapses runs of spaces and trims each line before comparing, which is useful when indentation changed. Ignore case does the obvious thing. Neither alters the text you pasted.