TextDiffMag.net

TextDiffMag.net User Guide

Introduction to Text Comparison

A "diff" is a comparison between two texts that highlights the differences between them. TextDiffMag.net is a powerful tool that helps you identify changes, additions, and deletions between two versions of text. This guide will help you understand how to use our tool effectively.

What is a Diff?

A diff (short for difference) is a tool that shows the changes between two versions of a file or text. Diffs are commonly used in software development to track changes in code, but they're useful for any text comparison task, such as comparing document versions, checking for plagiarism, or reviewing edits.

Getting Started

  1. Enter your text: Paste your original text in the left box and the modified text in the right box.
  2. Click "Compare": Press the Compare button to analyze the differences between the two texts.
  3. View the results: The differences will be highlighted, with additions in green and deletions in red.

Pro tip: You can use keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Enter to quickly compare texts.

Understanding View Modes

TextDiffMag.net offers multiple ways to visualize differences between texts:

Contextual (Recommended)

Shows the complete text in its natural form with inline markers for changes. Additions are marked with [+ ...] and deletions with [- ...]. This view preserves the natural flow of text and provides the best context for changes.

Side by Side

Displays the original and modified texts in parallel columns, making it easy to compare corresponding sections. This view works best for comparing structured text like code.

Unified

Shows both versions in a single view with additions and deletions marked with + and - symbols. This compact format is useful for seeing all changes in a single scrollable view.

Inline

Displays changes within the context of the document, highlighting specific words or characters that changed. Best for prose or when you need to see changes in context.

Overview

Provides a summary of changes with statistics and a condensed view of modifications. Useful for getting a high-level understanding of the extent of changes.

Advanced Options

Fine-tune your comparison with these advanced settings:

1

Ignore whitespace

When enabled, differences in spaces, tabs, and line breaks won't be highlighted. Useful for comparing text where formatting might differ but content is the same.

2

Ignore case

When enabled, uppercase and lowercase differences are ignored. Helpful when comparing text where capitalization isn't important.

3

Word-level comparison

Toggle between word-level and character-level comparison. Word-level is better for prose, while character-level is more precise for code or detailed changes.

4

Context lines

Control how many unchanged lines are shown around changes. Increasing this provides more context, while decreasing it creates a more focused view.

Contextual View Example

The contextual view is our recommended way to view differences. It preserves the natural flow of text while clearly marking additions and deletions:

Example

welcome to textchangemag.net [- your text comparison tool]
!
this is a simple [+ and efficien]t [+ t]ext comparison tool.
it helps you identify [+ all] changes between two text versions.
you can [- s]e[- e][+ asily][+ spot] additions, deletions, and modifications.

Key benefits of the contextual view:

  • The full text is visible in context
  • Additions are marked in green with [+]
  • Deletions are marked in red with [-]
  • Changes appear inline where they actually happen
  • Words aren't needlessly broken up
  • The natural flow of text is preserved

Common Use Cases

Document Editing

Track changes in documents, essays, or articles. The contextual view works best for prose, showing changes in their natural context.

Code Review

Compare different versions of code to identify changes, bug fixes, or new features. Use the side-by-side view with line numbers for structured code.

Data Verification

Compare data exports or logs to ensure consistency or identify discrepancies. Use the unified view for compact representation of structured data.

Translation Review

Compare different versions of translations or against the original text. The overview mode can help identify major differences quickly.

Tips and Tricks

💡

Use the contextual view for natural text like articles, emails, or documents to see changes in context.

💡

Use keyboard shortcuts to speed up your workflow: Ctrl+Enter to compare, Ctrl+C to copy the diff, Ctrl+S to save.

💡

Toggle fullscreen mode for distraction-free comparison of large texts.

💡

Save important comparisons to revisit them later without having to re-enter the text.

💡

Export your diff as a text file for sharing or documentation purposes.

Example Comparisons

Code Change Example

Original:

function calculateTotal(items) {
  let total = 0;
  for (let i = 0; i < items.length; i++) {
    total += items[i].price;
  }
  return total;
}

Modified:

function calculateTotal(items) {
  return items.reduce((total, item) => {
    return total + item.price;
  }, 0);
}

This example shows refactoring code from a for-loop to using the reduce method.

Text Editing Example

Original:

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. It barked loudly at the moon.

Modified:

The quick brown fox leaped over the sleepy dog. It howled softly at the moon.

This example shows word-level changes in a simple sentence.

Ready to Compare Your Texts?

Now that you understand how to use TextDiffMag.net, try comparing your own texts.

Start Comparing