About Difftastic
Difftastic is an open source command line diff tool that compares files by their syntax instead of line by line. It produces diffs that are often easier to read when code has been reformatted or wrapped.
What it does
Difftastic parses source code with tree-sitter, so it can tell which parts are unchanged even when they were moved or reformatted. It shows when a wrapper was added, matches delimiters exactly and displays the real line numbers from both files. It can be used as a Git diff tool after a short configuration change.
Key features
- Syntax-aware comparison
- Ignores formatting-only changes
- Shows wrapping changes clearly
- Real line numbers in the output
- Supports many programming languages and file formats
Who it's for
Difftastic suits developers who review refactors or formatter changes, and anyone who finds line-based diffs hard to follow. It is most useful for code in the languages it supports.
Pricing and good to know
The project is open source under the MIT license. It runs in a terminal, so it fits command line workflows. The manual lists supported languages and file formats, so check that yours are covered.
Highlights
- Compares files by syntax instead of by line
- Ignores changes that are only formatting
- Shows when a wrapper was added around code
- Displays real line numbers from both files
- Works as a Git diff tool
