12/7/2013

Quick and Dirty : Vimdiff Tutorial | Core Dump

Quick and Dirty : Vimdiff Tutorial

28th August 2008

I recently started using exclusively Vim (and gVim) for my coding needs. Vimdiff is a tool that comes bundled
with Vim and its a wonderful tool for comparing code and merging changes. If you'd prefer to use a non-Vim
based diff tool, checkout visual diff tools in linux [http://amjith.blogspot.com/2007/07/visual-diff-tools-in-linux.html]
for more variety.

[http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Klq-3NKFe2s/SMfeDZ9gY9I/AAAAAAAAAaA/zHwt-XJqt0M/s1600-h/vimdiff.png]

Keyboard Shortcuts:
do - Get changes from other window into the current window.
dp - Put the changes from current window into the other window.
]c - Jump to the next change.
[c - Jump to the previous change.
Ctrl W + Ctrl W - Switch to the other split window.
Update: Allan [http://www.blogger.com/profile/06760506313601452399] commented these two tips that I
personally use quite often.
If you load up two files in splits (:vs or :sp), you can do :diffthis on each window and achieve a diff of files
that were already loaded in buffers
:diffoff can be used to turn off the diff mode.
Posted 28th August 2008 by Amjith Ramanujam
Labels: vim
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Casey 12:01 PM
http://amjith.blogspot.com/2008/08/quick-and-dirty-vimdiff-tutorial.html

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Quick and Dirty : Vimdiff Tutorial | Core Dump

Thanks, I've been looking everywhere for this.

Reply

mkoga 6:43 PM
Very cool, thanks for the tip!
Reply

yungchin 10:29 AM
Thanks! Just what I was looking for.
Reply

Partha Chatterjee 3:01 AM

Thanks a lot! I was looking around for these commands frantically. Its a great help. Thanks.
Reply

angel 1:38 AM
thanks a loads.... :) Jai ho!!
Reply

Alan Haggai Alavi 4:06 AM

Hi,
Nice information. However, `Ctrl W + Ctrl W' is not required to switch windows. Ctrl W + W is enough to
cycle windows. You can try Ctrl W + <any of the direction keys> to switch among windows in vimdiff or in
vim with split windows.
For example:
Ctrl W + L => Switch to the right window, which is similar to pressing Ctrl W + <Right arrow>.
Regards.
Reply

Saggi Malachi 9:06 AM

Great quick tutorial.
Exactly what I was looking for.
Reply

Anonymous 4:56 PM
Thanks for the great tip
Reply

peerlessdeepak 6:27 AM
http://amjith.blogspot.com/2008/08/quick-and-dirty-vimdiff-tutorial.html

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Quick and Dirty : Vimdiff Tutorial | Core Dump

Nice one! I learnt vimdiff from it.

while(As long as i remember vimdiff)
Thanks
Reply

Anonymous 8:15 AM
To ignore whitespace use this command: set diffopt+=iwhite
To turn that back off use: set diffopt-=iwhite
Reply

bothie 6:36 AM
The only thing missing in this tutorial: How can I undo a dp/do command?
Reply
Replies
Divye Kapoor 1:23 PM
+1 if you have a tip here.

Julio Angulo 12:03 PM

just type u

Anonymous 12:03 PM
After typing 'u', type ':e %' to get the coloring back.
Reply

~rAGU 1:38 PM
do command is bit tricky. Esc and then type do placing the cursor at the beginning of the diff and place
cursor at the end then type do again to bring the change from the other window.
+ can be expanded by pressing -> key to see text where there is no diff. Asusual :x saves and exits.
Reply

Martin 4:10 AM
Hi, this is nice, but I had to figure out how to get it into diff mode in first place. Might be nice, if you could
add that here.
And somehow it is not very clever, I have two lines, both starting off the same and then ending in differntly.
Still, it tells me the whole line in red color, like it were different.
Reply

Anonymous 11:38 AM
http://amjith.blogspot.com/2008/08/quick-and-dirty-vimdiff-tutorial.html

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Quick and Dirty : Vimdiff Tutorial | Core Dump

@bothie: just do 'u' in the affected window to undo the editing command, as usual in vim
Reply

Deepak 12:42 AM
This tip is very useful.. I started using vimdiff and enjoying.
Reply

Allan 2:14 PM
Yet another tip to help people out... if you load up two files in splits (:vs or :sp), you can do :diffthis on each
window and achieve a diff of files that were already loaded in buffers. I usually end up doing it this way
because I already have the two versions loaded side by side.
Another tip to quit diffing a split is to use :diffoff. I remember this one by telling diff to f-off. :P
Reply

Amjith 2:22 PM
Thanks Allan:
I've updated the post to reflect your tips. :)
Reply

shb 2:31 PM
I was just looking for it! :)
After a minute I also needed :diffupdate
Reply

Ondej Jakubov 6:35 AM

Nice one, very quick:)
Reply

Justin Hopper 1:26 PM

Thank man - very useful commands
Reply

palak pal 10:53 AM

Vim tutorial Cheat Sheet , Learn VIM in 5 miunute
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BDh4bDqG8Y
Reply

http://amjith.blogspot.com/2008/08/quick-and-dirty-vimdiff-tutorial.html

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