Text Diff

A diff of two texts, without leaving the tab.

FREE - NO SIGN-UP - RUNS ON YOUR DEVICE

Nothing is uploaded to run this

  • Lineor word
  • ±copy out
  • 2noise filters
  • 0uploads
Specification

Text Diff at a glance

Input
Two panes of text
Diff level
Line level or word level
Whitespace
Indentation noise removable
Letter case
Case noise removable
Result
On screen, or copied out
Price
Free
Account needed
None
Where processing happens
On your device
How to

How to use Text Diff

  1. 1

    Paste old and new

    Paste old and new.

  2. 2

    Set the level

    Set the level.

  3. 3

    Take the diff away

    Copy the diff out.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

What does the copied diff look like?

Every line carries a prefix: a plus for added, a minus for removed, a space for unchanged. It pastes into a ticket or a message as plain text.

Why does a reindent show as a rewrite?

Line level compares whole lines, and indentation is part of the line. Switch whitespace off and only the real edits are left.

Can I diff files instead of pasting?

Not here. Open each file and copy its contents into a pane. This page works on text you paste rather than files on your disk.

Is the text sent to a server?

No. The diff is worked out in this browser tab. Neither side is uploaded, and nothing is kept once you close it.

Background

Line diffs and word diffs

Paste the old text and the new text. The diff marks additions in green and removals struck through in red, and can be copied out with plus and minus prefixes.

  • A line diff answers which lines changed; a word diff answers which words inside a line changed.
  • Config files and code read best at line level, where a changed line is the unit of work.
  • A count of added, removed and unchanged follows whichever level is on.
  • Ignore whitespace and ignore case only change what counts as a change, not the text itself.

Full specification

Specification of the Text Diff tool
InputTwo panes of text, both preloaded with a sample so the marking reads clearly.
Diff levelLine level for whole lines, word level for the words inside a line.
WhitespaceSwitch it off and lines differing only in spacing or indentation count as unchanged.
Letter caseSwitch it off and text differing only in capitals counts as unchanged.
ResultGreen additions, struck-through red removals, a count, and a marked copy.
PriceFree. Supported by clearly labelled ads outside the working area.
Account neededNo.
Where processing happensIn your browser tab. Nothing is uploaded.
Next step

Keep going with the same files

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