CODEWITHSUNDEEP
visual-studio-code
user4863890
user4863890

Reputation:

Visual Studio Code - is there a Compare feature like that plugin for Notepad ++?

Is there a Compare feature like the Plugin for Notepad++?

Upvotes: 980

Views: 1014112

Answers (18)

Lernkurve
Lernkurve

Reputation: 21522

I have Visual Studio Code version 1.27.2 and can do this:

Compare two files

  1. Drag and drop the two files into Visual Studio Code enter image description here
  2. Select both files and select Select for Compare from the context menu enter image description here
  3. Then you see the diff enter image description here
  4. With Alt+F5 you can jump to the next diff enter image description here

Compare two in-memory documents or tabs

Sometimes, you don't have two files but want to copy text from somewhere and do a quick diff without having to save the contents to files first. Then you can do this:

  1. Open two tabs by hitting Ctrl+N twice: enter image description here
  2. Paste your first text sample from the clipboard to the first tab and the second text sample from the clipboard to the second tab
  3. In the "Open Editors" view, select the first document Untitled-1 with Select for Compare: enter image description here
  4. Select the second document Untitled-2 with Compare with Selected: enter image description here
  5. Then you see the diff: enter image description here

Upvotes: 320

Rakka Rage
Rakka Rage

Reputation: 19399

in Explorer window, Right-Click on first file and select:

enter image description here

then Right-Click on second file and select:

enter image description here

Screencast:

how to compare files in vscode

Upvotes: 1215

manick prime
manick prime

Reputation: 31

I'm on Visual Studio Code version 1.88.1.

To have both files editable within the compare window, do this

  1. Open the Command Palette (F1 or Ctrl + Shift + P)

  2. Type "file: compare new" and select Compare New Untitled Text Files

    Ref

  3. Now you'll have two new files which will be compared

    Ref

Upvotes: 3

chetan anand
chetan anand

Reputation: 129

For comparing JSONFiles :

If you are willing to compare JSON file, maybe you want to add one more step in VSCode:

  1. Open the starting JSON File 1
  2. Right click in the file area and select Format Document or press CMD + Shift + F on Mac
  3. Open the Command Palette (F1 or CMD + Shift + P on Mac)
  4. Search/Select Compare Active File with... select JSON File 2
  5. You can select Inline View from ... menu

Note: All the steps mentioned above are same as all other answers except step-2 which is crucial for JSON file for better visibility.

Upvotes: 1

Nick Cuevas
Nick Cuevas

Reputation: 1708

If we are talking about about "features" per se, there are lots of features that can "replicate" the funcionalities that we are familiar with in Jetbrains.

Like so, there is one that I have found very interesting:

enter image description here

Once you installed it, you double-click and you have all sorts of functionalities to compare, for instance "with clipboard" without having to rely on "copy paste" that part of code in a new file.

enter image description here

Then when comparing with clipboard you should have sth like this:

enter image description here

Hope this helps

Upvotes: 3

wisbucky
wisbucky

Reputation: 37797

Here is my favorite way, which I think is a little less tedious than the "Select for Compare, then Compare With..." steps.

  1. Open the starting file

  2. Open the Command Palette (F1 or Ctrl + Shift + P)

  3. Type Compare Active File and select Compare Active File With...

    Compare Active File With

  4. Select the new file to compare with. You can either select a recent file from the dropdown list, or click any file in the Explorer panel.

    File Picker

  5. View the Result!

    Diff Viewer

Note: This works with any arbitrary files, even ones that are not in the project dir. You can even just create 2 new Untitled files and copy/paste text in there too.

Upvotes: 206

wisbucky
wisbucky

Reputation: 37797

Another option is using command line:

code -d left.txt right.txt

Note: You may need to add code to your path first. See: How to call VS Code Editor from terminal / command line

Visual Studio Code compare file left.txt with right.txt

Upvotes: 99

Mark
Mark

Reputation: 180611

Quickly open - and close - 2 new empty editors for a compare

As of Insiders Build v1.75, there is a new command to quickly open 2 new (i.e., empty) editors for a diff/compare. Into each of these you can paste whatever you want to compare between them. The command is:

File: Compare New Untitled Text Files
workbench.files.action.compareNewUntitledTextFiles

There is no default keybinding. Demo:

compare two new files demo

Upvotes: 11

David Kolář
David Kolář

Reputation: 51

Recently I created a VSCode extension for even faster way of file comparison. It's called Fast Compare and you can download it here.

https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=DavidKol.fastcompare

Gif animation of functionality

Upvotes: 5

Francisco Fernandez
Francisco Fernandez

Reputation: 71

other option is ctrl-shift + p and type file compare vsc capture

Upvotes: 7

Shaggy
Shaggy

Reputation: 734

In my case, I was trying to use compare option for files in open editor of VS code, however open editor wasn't visible. In such a case, to access open editor, click on 3 dots next to explorer and check the open editors option.

Upvotes: 0

Benjamin Pasero
Benjamin Pasero

Reputation: 123716

You can compare files from the explorer either from the working files section or the folder section. You can also trigger the global compare action from the command palette.

  1. Open a folder with the files you need to compare,
  2. Select two using SHIFT
  3. Right click "Compare Selected" enter image description here

Upvotes: 467

Erika Dsouza
Erika Dsouza

Reputation: 1083

In your terminal type:

code --diff file1.txt file2.txt

A tab will open up in VS Code showing the differences in the two files.

Upvotes: 60

Johnny Wong
Johnny Wong

Reputation: 975

I found a flow which is fastest for me, by first associating a keyboard shortcut Alt+k to "Compare Active File With..." (#a). (Similar to wisbucky's answer but further improved and more step-wise.)

Then, to compare two files:

  1. Open or focus file B (will be editable in compare view by default). E.g. by drag-drop from File Explorer to VS Code's center.
  2. Open or focus file A.
  3. Press Alt+k, a quick open menu will be shown with file B focused.
  4. Press Enter.

Result: file A on left and file B on right. (Tested on VS Code 1.27.1)

Remarks

#a - to do so, press Ctrl-k Ctrl-s to show Keyboard Shortcuts, type compare on the top search box, and double click the "Keybinding" column for "Compare Active File With...", press Alt+k then Enter to assign it.

Upvotes: 3

Ali Karaca
Ali Karaca

Reputation: 3831

Right click on 1st file click "Select for compare".

Click 2nd file click "Compare with selected"

Upvotes: 2

Margaret
Margaret

Reputation: 116

Here's a link to marketplace for extension. Extension "compareit" helps to compare two files wich you can choose from your current project and other directory on your computer or clipboard.

Upvotes: 2

SANN3
SANN3

Reputation: 10069

There is plugin called Partial Diff which helps to compare text selections within a file, across different files, or to the clipboard.

Upvotes: 29

Jacek Dziurdzikowski
Jacek Dziurdzikowski

Reputation: 2265

If you want to compare file in your project/directory with an external file (which is by the way the most common way I used to compare files) you can easily drag and drop the external file into the editor's tab and just use the command: "Compare Active File With..." on one of them selecting the other one in the newly popped up choice window. That seems to be the fastest way.

Upvotes: 4

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