# difftool, open all diff files immediately, not in serial

6 messages from 2009-08-04 to 2010-04-14. Participants: Seba Illingworth, Thomas Rast, Seb, David Aguilar.
Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/20372

## Seba Illingworth, 2009-08-04 20:49

Subject: difftool, open all diff files immediately, not in serial
Message-ID: <loom.20090804T204107-117@post.gmane.org>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/loom.20090804T204107-117%40post.gmane.org

```
The default git diff behavior is to open each diff file in serial 
(wait for previous file to be closed before opening next file).

I'm looking for a way to open all the files at once - in BeyondCompare 
for example this would open all the files in tabs within the same BC window.

This would make it easier to review a complex set of changes; 
flick back and forwards between the diff files and ignore 
unimportant files.

Here's my same question on StackOverflow with a couple of ideas 
I have found (copy files to temp dir and do folder diff, Araxis 
has 'nowait' option): 
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1220309

--Seba

```

## Thomas Rast, 2009-08-04 21:47

Subject: Re: difftool, open all diff files immediately, not in serial
Message-ID: <200908042347.48705.trast@student.ethz.ch>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/200908042347.48705.trast%40student.ethz.ch
In-Reply-To: <loom.20090804T204107-117@post.gmane.org>

```
Seba Illingworth wrote:
> The default git diff behavior is to open each diff file in serial 
> (wait for previous file to be closed before opening next file).
> 
> I'm looking for a way to open all the files at once - in BeyondCompare 
> for example this would open all the files in tabs within the same BC window.

I posted the script below on IRC the other week[1] in reply to someone
looking for a way to do this for 'meld'.  I'm not sure this is the
*fastest* way to do this, but I'm at least trying to take a few
shortcuts ;-)

Since this is now the second request for such a tool, it would be nice
if you could at least shape this as a contrib/ patch (if it fits your
needs, of course).

[1] http://colabti.org/irclogger/irclogger_log/git?date=2009-07-14#l2180

-- 8< --
#!/bin/sh

. "$(git --exec-path)/git-sh-setup"
cd_to_toplevel # for the tar below

pre="${1-HEAD}"
post="$2"

tmp="$(mktemp -d)"

cleanup () {
	rm -rf $tmp
}

trap cleanup EXIT

mkdir "$tmp"/a "$tmp"/b

if [ -n "$post" ]; then
	git diff --name-only "$pre" "$post" > "$tmp"/filelist
	while read name; do
		mkdir -p "$tmp"/b/"$(dirname "$name")"
		git show "$post":"$name" > "$tmp"/b/"$name"
	done < "$tmp"/filelist
else
	git diff --name-only "$pre" > "$tmp"/filelist
	tar -c -T "$tmp"/filelist | (cd "$tmp"/b && tar -x)
fi

while read name; do
	mkdir -p "$tmp"/a/"$(dirname "$name")"
	git show "$pre":"$name" > "$tmp"/a/"$name"
done < "$tmp"/filelist

cd "$tmp"
#meld a b
diff -ur a b

```

## Seba Illingworth, 2009-08-04 22:52

Subject: Re: difftool, open all diff files immediately, not in serial
Message-ID: <loom.20090804T224435-568@post.gmane.org>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/loom.20090804T224435-568%40post.gmane.org
In-Reply-To: <200908042347.48705.trast@student.ethz.ch>

```
Thomas Rast <trast <at> student.ethz.ch> writes:

> 
> I posted the script below on IRC the other week[1] in reply to someone
> looking for a way to do this for 'meld'.
...

Thanks Thomas, I'll take a few days to digest/test this 
(I'm new to bash and git) and give feedback.

```

## Seba Illingworth, 2009-08-20 01:39

Subject: Re: difftool, open all diff files immediately, not in serial
Message-ID: <loom.20090820T033212-722@post.gmane.org>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/loom.20090820T033212-722%40post.gmane.org
In-Reply-To: <200908042347.48705.trast@student.ethz.ch>

```
Thomas Rast <trast <at> student.ethz.ch> writes:
> I posted the script below on IRC the other week[1] in reply to someone
> looking for a way to do this for 'meld'.  I'm not sure this is the
> *fastest* way to do this, but I'm at least trying to take a few
> shortcuts...

I've come up with a simple script that diffs the files in a background task:

  for name in $(git diff --name-only $1); do git difftool $1 $name & done

Then aliased the script for usage:

  git diffall [--staged]

Being a bash newbie, I'd appreciate any feedback on what seems to be 
a simple solution...??

```

## Seb, 2010-04-14 02:16

Subject: My solution
Message-ID: <loom.20100414T040717-222@post.gmane.org>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/loom.20100414T040717-222%40post.gmane.org
In-Reply-To: <loom.20090804T224435-568@post.gmane.org>

```
Seba Illingworth <seba.illingworth <at> gmail.com> writes:

> 
> Thomas Rast <trast <at> student.ethz.ch> writes:
> 
> > 
> > I posted the script below on IRC the other week[1] in reply to someone
> > looking for a way to do this for 'meld'.
> ...

Just realised I never posted my solution. This works great for me, I wouldn't do 
without it:
http://blog.codefarm.co.nz/2009/08/git-diff-and-difftool-open-all-files.html

```

## David Aguilar, 2010-04-14 06:41

Subject: Re: My solution
Message-ID: <20100414064107.GA3254@gmail.com>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/20100414064107.GA3254%40gmail.com
In-Reply-To: <loom.20100414T040717-222@post.gmane.org>

```
On Wed, Apr 14, 2010 at 02:16:07AM +0000, Seb wrote:
> Seba Illingworth <seba.illingworth <at> gmail.com> writes:
> 
> > 
> > Thomas Rast <trast <at> student.ethz.ch> writes:
> > 
> > > 
> > > I posted the script below on IRC the other week[1] in reply to someone
> > > looking for a way to do this for 'meld'.
> > ...
> 
> Just realised I never posted my solution. This works great for me, I wouldn't do 
> without it:
> http://blog.codefarm.co.nz/2009/08/git-diff-and-difftool-open-all-files.html

Thanks.  We should add git difftool --all, what do you think?

Do you have any thoughts about difftool's defaults?
I've always kind of felt that --no-prompt was a possible candidate...

-- 
		David

```