Tag Archives: git-diff

Using Emacs vc-diff with tools such as git-crypt or Rails credentials: Handling Binary Diff Issues

Reply

Tools like git-crypt or Rails credentials provide an encryption layer for managing sensitive files within Git repositories. However, when using Emacs vc-diff on repositories protected by these tools, the diff output is incorrect because vc-diff compares the encrypted binary files directly rather than comparing the decrypted files. This occurs even when the repository is unlocked and the decrypted content is available, resulting in a failure to display meaningful diffs. The root cause Internally, vc-diff uses Git commands to compute diffs. However, it does not invoke them with the --textconv flag by default. Without --textconv, Git does not apply content filters, … Continue reading →

Enhancing Git Diff for Emacs Lisp: Better Git Diff of Elisp function or macro definitions

Reply

By default, the git diff algorithm compares changes in Elisp files line by line without understanding the structural semantics of Emacs Lisp files. This means that when modifications are made within functions, the diff output does not convey how those changes relate to higher-level code constructs such as functions or macros. As a result, reviewers are presented with fragmented and often verbose diffs where the context of a change, such as which function it belongs to, is not always readily apparent. This lack of structural awareness can make it difficult to assess the purpose and impact of changes efficiently. Git … Continue reading →

Git: Suppressing Irrelevant Git Diff Output for Specific Files (e.g., binary files, encrypted files...)

Reply

Sometimes, it is useful to suppress certain files from git diff output, especially when the files are large, machine-generated, or not intended for human reading. Typical examples include encrypted files such as *.gpg and *.asc, as well as binary assets like images, audio files, and similar media. These files are usually represented as opaque binary data in diffs, providing no useful information and adding extraneous clutter to git diff output. Git offers a solution for this through adding YOUR-FILE-PATTERN -diff -text to the .gitattributes file. Solution: A .gitattributes file that is local to the repository The .gitattributes file can be … Continue reading →