# git difftool help

2 messages from 2016-03-28 to 2016-03-29. Participants: ratheesh kannoth, Chris Packham.
Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/41844

## ratheesh kannoth, 2016-03-28 14:07

Subject: git difftool help
Message-ID: <CAGZFCEEYYwc=7z5+TRCxE=gR0od2X1oe1WgyhjvO6edb9yyM1A@mail.gmail.com>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/CAGZFCEEYYwc%3D7z5%2BTRCxE%3DgR0od2X1oe1WgyhjvO6edb9yyM1A%40mail.gmail.com

```
'git diff 'is opening in meld. I could not create a patch using -  git
diff > ./patch-01
i did not make any change to pick meld, by  default it is picking meld.


Which "git difftool" will help to create patch ? i do want to  use
format patch as changes are not yet committed ?


-Ratheesh

```

## Chris Packham, 2016-03-29 09:45

Subject: Re: git difftool help
Message-ID: <CAFOYHZCS4McTJoFzBGDq763-ZNO==3H98sWLHmquZ8b=xek6hg@mail.gmail.com>
URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/CAFOYHZCS4McTJoFzBGDq763-ZNO%3D%3D3H98sWLHmquZ8b%3Dxek6hg%40mail.gmail.com
In-Reply-To: <CAGZFCEEYYwc=7z5+TRCxE=gR0od2X1oe1WgyhjvO6edb9yyM1A@mail.gmail.com>

```
On Tue, Mar 29, 2016 at 3:07 AM, ratheesh kannoth
<ratheesh.ksz@gmail.com> wrote:
> 'git diff 'is opening in meld. I could not create a patch using -  git
> diff > ./patch-01
> i did not make any change to pick meld, by  default it is picking meld.
>
>
> Which "git difftool" will help to create patch ? i do want to  use
> format patch as changes are not yet committed ?
>

'git diff' is the correct command to display a difference between the
worktree and the index (staging area).
'git difftool' is used to invoke an external (usually graphical) tool
to display the differences.

Perhaps you have some odd configuration causing meld to be invoked
(diff.external maybe). Could you post the output of 'git config -l'
and 'git --version'

```