Git Diff

In the world of version control, Git's git diff command is a fundamental tool that allows developers to compare changes between different states of a repository. We'll explore the various ways you can leverage the git diff command to examine and understand the differences in your project's codebase.

1. Basic Usage:

The most straightforward use of git diff involves comparing the working directory with the last commit. Execute the following command to see the unstaged changes:

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git diff

This command displays the line-by-line differences between your current working directory and the last commit.

2. Staged Changes:

To view the changes that are staged but not yet committed, use the --staged or -cached option:

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git diff --staged

This is useful for reviewing the modifications you are about to commit.

3. Comparing Specific Commits:

Compare the changes between two specific commits by providing their commit hashes:

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git diff commit-hash-1 commit-hash-2

This command illustrates the differences between the specified commits.

4. Viewing Changes in a File:

To focus on changes within a specific file, provide the filename after the git diff command:

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git diff file-name

This narrows down the output to changes made in that particular file.

5. Side-by-Side Diff:

Enhance readability by using the --word-diff and --word-diff-regex options for a side-by-side, word-level diff:

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git diff --word-diff --word-diff-regex=.

This provides a more detailed view of changes at the word level.

6. Ignore Whitespace Changes:

Filter out whitespace changes to focus on meaningful code modifications:

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git diff -w

This can be particularly helpful when reviewing changes that only involve indentation or spacing.

7. Viewing Unified Diff:

Display the changes in a unified diff format, which is commonly used for patches:

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git diff --unified=3

The --unified option controls the number of context lines in the output.

8. Comparing Branches:

Compare changes between two branches:

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git diff branch-name-1..branch-name-2

This shows the differences between the tip of one branch and the tip of another.

9. Visualizing Changes Graphically:

Leverage external tools like git difftool to visualize changes graphically. Popular tools include meld, kdiff3, and vscode:

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git difftool -t meld

This opens the meld tool for a visual representation of the changes.

10. Patch Mode:

Enter interactive patch mode to selectively stage changes. This allows you to review and choose which modifications to include in the next commit:

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git add -p

Navigate through each change, deciding whether to stage, skip, or split modifications.