Vim Diff with Saved

Vim is a highly customizable and powerful text editor that is widely used by programmers. One of its many useful features is the ability to compare and merge files with its built-in diff tool. In this guide, we will explore how to use Vim's diff functionality to compare two files and view any differences from the saved version.

Prerequisites

Before learning how to use Vim's diff tool with a saved file, you must have the following:

• A basic understanding of Vim commands and navigation
• Two files to compare, with one of them being the saved version

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Open both files in Vim.

vim file1.txt file2.txt

2. Split the window horizontally or vertically depending on your preference.

:sp           " Split the window horizontally
:vsp          " Split the window vertically

3. Change the focus to the second window and edit the second file.

<Ctrl-w> w    " Change focus to the second window
:e file2.txt  " Edit the second file

4. Enable diff mode and set the options.

:windo diffthis     " Enable diff mode for both windows
:set diffopt=filler,vertical     " Set vertical diff mode and filler option to fill empty lines

5. View the differences between the two files.

:windo diff        " View differences between the files

6. Navigate through the differences using Vim's navigation commands.

j     " Move to the next line
k     " Move to the previous line
]c    " Jump to the next change
[c    " Jump to the previous change

7. Save any changes made to the second file.

:wq    " Save and exit the second file

8. Disable diff mode for both windows.

:windo diffoff     " Disable diff mode for both windows

Conclusion

Vim's diff tool is a powerful feature that allows you to compare and merge files with ease. By following this guide, you can easily use Vim's diff functionality to compare and view the differences between two files and make any necessary changes to the saved version.