created 2006 · complexity intermediate · author Michael Hooreman · version n/a
This tip is deprecated for the following reasons:
As suggested in the comments, this functionality is built-in to Vim, with the :diffthis, :diffsplit, :diffoff, etc. commands
If you are already in Vim, there are two methods to do a vimdiff:
- Run another Vim with command line vimdiff.
- Open a new window (C-w s) and then enter appropriate commands in the two buffers.
This tip provides a function (SetDiffEnviron) to set the "diff" environment in buffer. So, if you want to diff the right and the left window, you have to run :SetDiffEnviron into the right and the left buffer.
Add the following to your vimrc file:
function! SetDiffEnviron() set diff set scrollbind set scrollopt=ver,jump,hor set nowrap set fdm=diff endfunction :command! SetDiffEnviron call SetDiffEnviron()
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How does this differ from the :diffthis
command?
Might I suggest the following commands instead:
:sp <filename> :windo diffthis
For variety, you could try :vs
instead of :sp
I think the easiest way to diff a currently open file with another is the :diffsplit
command. It loads the file and sets all the right options. Personally I like to use :vert diffsplit
Getting into 'diff' mode is quite easy, as other comments have shown. Turning off 'diff' mode (without quitting Vim or deleting the buffers) is more complex. I use the following function:
" Switch off diff-mode of all currently open windows. command! DiffOff call DiffOff() function! DiffOff() windo set nodiff windo set noscrollbind " Reset, then restore the 'foldmethod' and 'foldcolumn' settings by " re-setting the filetype. This triggers the filetype-based folding to be " reactivated, and ( contrary to a simple :e!) works even on modified " buffers. windo set foldmethod=manual windo set foldcolumn=0 windo unlet! b:did_ftplugin | let &filetype = &filetype endfunction
As of Vim 7, there is also :diffoff
which is very similar to the DiffOff function above.