https://github.com/cdacamar/gap
UI text diff
https://github.com/cdacamar/gap
Last synced: 5 days ago
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UI text diff
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/cdacamar/gap
- Owner: cdacamar
- License: mit
- Created: 2026-04-13T03:01:45.000Z (about 2 months ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2026-05-10T04:57:26.000Z (29 days ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-05-10T06:44:54.780Z (29 days ago)
- Language: C++
- Size: 5.54 MB
- Stars: 18
- Watchers: 1
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 1
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- License: LICENSE
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README
gap - GUI Text Diff.
# gap
This is a very simple text GUI diffing utility started during the [Handmade Essentials 2026 Jam](https://handmade.network/jam/essentials).
The goal of **gap** is to provide a very simple native utility which presents diffs in a way that you might see them on popular source control sites such as Github or Azure DevOps.
The secondary goal of **gap** is to serve as a proof-of-concept for implementing the linear variant of the Myers diff algorithm for use in [fred](https://fred-dev.tech).
## Features
* Self-contained repo. There are no dependencies outside of a C++ compiler (some Linux caveats).
* Multiple options for viewing inner-diffs within similar blocks (word-based and character-based).
* Easily swap the order of diffs with a single button.
* Expand/collapse context window at the push of a button (anything below 0 indicates 'infinite' context, implying there is no window).
* Supports directory diffing where each file in the corresponding directory is matched to files in the opposite directory.
* Full configuration explorer just like in **fred** from which you can change settings such as viewing line numbers, changing colors, or disabling animations.
* Help panel which provides hotkey rebinding.
* Multiple renderer options on Windows (DX11 and OpenGL with DX11 being default).
* Supports subpixel font rendering (on by default).
* Supports both Windows and Linux (no OSX).
## Usage
```
$ gap a.txt b.txt # file diffing.
$ gap .\A .\B # directory diffing.
```
Or simply open **gap** and drag-and-drop files onto each panel side for diffing. You can overwrite a file by dragging and dropping a new file onto that panel. You can also open the directory diffing panel via the default of `CTRL+O` and drag directories onto each side for a directory comparison.
Another way of using gap is to tie it into git for viewing local diffs:
```
$ git config difftool.gap.path "D:/git_projects/gap/build/gap.exe"
$ git config difftool.gap.cmd "D:/git_projects/gap/build/gap.exe """$LOCAL""" """$REMOTE""""
$ git config diff.tool gap
```
Which you can then use `git difftool` instead of `git diff` to view diffs locally.
Additionally, you may want to consider invoking `git difftool` as `git difftool -d` to take advantage of the directory diffing in gap.
On Linux you would simply escape the quotes differently and alter paths.
## Screenshots
## Building
Windows:
1. Open up an VS2022 (or later) x64 Developer Command Prompt
```
$ build
```
Or for release:
```
$ build release
```
Linux:
1. Ensure you have a recent-ish version of gcc. I used 13.3.0.
2. Have the following system dependencies installed:
* OpenGL (I used libglx-dev)
* X11 (I used libx11-dev)
* X11-ext (I used libxext-dev)
* Xrandr (I used libxrandr-dev)
```
$ ./build.sh
```
Or for release:
```
$ ./build.sh release
```
## License
MIT