MyWebUtils: Free Online Dev Tools

What is a "Diff" Tool?

A "diff" (short for difference) tool is a utility that compares two versions of a file or text block and highlights the changes between them. It's an indispensable part of a developer's toolkit, making it easy to see what has been added, removed, or modified.

Why is Comparing Text Important?

• Code Reviews: Before merging new code, developers use diff tools to review exactly what changes have been made, ensuring quality and correctness.
• Tracking Changes: Writers and editors can compare different drafts of a document to see revisions, track edits, and understand how the content has evolved.
• Debugging: Comparing a file before and after a bug occurs can help pinpoint the exact change that caused the issue. You can compare configuration files, log outputs, or even API responses.
• Version Control: Tools like Git are built around the concept of diffs. Understanding a diff view is fundamental to working with modern version control systems.

How Our Diff Viewer Works

Our tool provides a simple, clean, and effective way to visualize differences, all within your browser for complete privacy.

• Side-by-Side Input: Paste the original text on the left and the modified text on the right.
• Character-Level Highlighting: Instead of just showing whole lines that have changed, our tool highlights the exact characters that have been added (green) or removed (red). This makes it incredibly easy to spot even the smallest changes.
• Whitespace Visualization: Unchanged spaces are represented by a middle dot (`·`) and newlines by a return symbol (`↵`), so you can easily see changes in whitespace that might otherwise be invisible.
• Client-Side Processing: Your text is never sent to a server. All comparison logic happens locally in your browser, ensuring your data remains secure and private.