What it is
difftastic compares files by their structure rather than line by line. It parses the code for dozens of languages, so a reformatted or re-indented block isn’t shown as changed, and moved or wrapped code is matched up correctly. Results are shown side by side with syntax highlighting.
Why it’s here
- Less noise. Formatting changes don’t hide the real ones.
- Works with Git. Use it as Git’s diff tool for any command that shows a diff.
On CoreDesktop
difftastic is installed from pacman as the difft command. CoreDesktop doesn’t make it Git’s default diff tool; to use it for one command:
GIT_EXTERNAL_DIFF=difft git diff
update keeps it current with the rest of the pacman packages.