beyond compare with `git difftool --dir-diff` -- Hitting an issue with sym-links
Setup a new git repo and add some files:
[Feb-09 18:35][Desktop]$ mkdir exampleForStackOverflow
[Feb-09 18:35][Desktop]$ cd exampleForStackOverflow/
[Feb-09 18:35][exampleForStackOverflow]$ git init
Initialized empty Git repository in ~/Desktop/exampleForStackOverflow/.git/
[Feb-09 18:35][exampleForStackOverflow]$ touch foo.txt
[Feb-09 18:35][exampleForStackOverflow]$ touch bar.txt
[Feb-09 18:35][exampleForStackOverflow]$ touch baz.txt
[Feb-09 18:36][exampleForStackOverflow]$ git add *
[Feb-09 18:36][exampleForStackOverflow]$ git commit -m "Create files"
[master (root-commit) 42bfa60] Create files
3 files changed, 0 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-)
create mode 100644 bar.txt
create mode 100644 baz.txt
create mode 100644 foo.txt
Modify the files:
[Feb-09 18:37][exampleForStackOverflow]$ echo "Foo" > foo.txt
[Feb-09 18:37][exampleForStackOverflow]$ echo "Bar" > bar.txt
[Feb-09 18:37][exampleForStackOverflow]$ echo "Baz" > baz.txt
Current status:
[Feb-09 18:38][exampleForStackOverflow]$ git status
On branch master
Changes not staged for commit:
(use "git add <file>..." to update what will be committed)
(use "git checkout -- <file>..." to discard changes in working directory)
modified: bar.txt
modified: baz.txt
modified: foo.txt
no changes added to commit (use "git add" and/or "git commit -a")
Current diff:
[Feb-09 18:38][exampleForStackOverflow]$ git diff
diff --git a/bar.txt b/bar.txt
index e69de29..ebd7525 100644
--- a/bar.txt
+++ b/bar.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Bar
diff --git a/baz.txt b/baz.txt
index e69de29..a688182 100644
--- a/baz.txt
+++ b/baz.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Baz
diff --git a/foo.txt b/foo.txt
index e69de29..bc56c4d 100644
--- a/foo.txt
+++ b/foo.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Foo
Now with bcompare I get the following:
[Feb-09 18:38][exampleForStackOverflow]$ git difftool --dir-diff
This is clearly not the expected behaviour. The files do not align so differences cannot be seen.
I am running:
[Feb-09 18:44][exampleForStackOverflow]$ git --version
git version 2.7.1
[Feb-09 18:44][exampleForStackOverflow]$ cat /etc/redhat-release
CentOS release 6.6 (Final)
Beyond Compare: Version 4.1.3 (build 20814)
git config:
[Feb-09 18:45][exampleForStackOverflow]$ git config --list
color.ui=true
user.name=FOO
user.email=BAR@BAZ.com
log.decorate=full
diff.tool=bc3
difftool.bc3=trustExitCode
merge.tool=bc3
mergetool.bc3=trustExitCode
core.repositoryformatversion=0
core.filemode=true
core.bare=false
core.logallrefupdates=true
Question: (From Ismail Badawi) What does this have to do with symlinks?
Answer: Sorry the screenshot isn't extremely clear but the files on the right hand side are symlinks. See below:
[Feb-09 18:52][exampleForStackOverflow]$ cd /tmp/git-difftool.RWDqE/right
[Feb-09 18:52][right]$ ll
total 0
lrwxrwxrwx 1 BAZ BAZ_g 54 Feb 9 18:51 bar.txt -> /home/BAZ/Desktop/exampleForStackOverflow/bar.txt
lrwxrwxrwx 1 BAZ BAZ_g 54 Feb 9 18:51 baz.txt -> /home/BAZ/Desktop/exampleForStackOverflow/baz.txt
lrwxrwxrwx 1 BAZ BAZ_g 54 Feb 9 18:51 foo.txt -> /home/BAZ/Desktop/exampleForStackOverflow/foo.txt
In addition to sixtyfootersdude's suggestion, another option is to make Beyond Compare follow symbolic links. This will align symlinks with files of the same name.
In the Folder Compare, click the Rules toolbar button (referee icon). Go to the Handling tab. Check Follow symbolic links.
To make this affect all new sessions, change the dropdown at the bottom of the dialog from Use for this view only to Also update session defaults before you click OK.
Snapshots:
