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Mastering Git Diff: Analyzing Changes and Advanced Use Cases

Difficulty: advanced
Est. Time: 45 minutes
Prerequisites:
  • Customizing Git: Aliases and Configuration
Mastering Git Diff: Analyzing Changes and Advanced Use Cases
•15 min•
TUTORIAL
git
diff
advanced

Mastering Git Diff: Analyzing Changes and Advanced Use Cases

git diff is a powerful command that allows you to analyze changes in your repository. Whether you're comparing working directory changes, staged files, or commits, git diff provides detailed insights into what has changed. In this blog, we’ll explore its use cases, advanced features, and tips to make the most of it.

Table of Contents

  • Basic Usage
  • Advanced Features
  • Practical Examples
  • Exercise: Practicing git diff

Basic Usage

View unstaged changes:


  git diff

View staged changes:


  git diff --staged

Compare two commits:


  git diff <commit-hash-1> <commit-hash-2>

Advanced Features

Ignore whitespace changes:


  git diff -w

Filter diffs by file type:


  git diff '*.html'

Exercise: Practicing git diff

Make changes to a file and run git diff to see unstaged changes. Stage the changes and run git diff --staged to see staged changes. Compare commits and branches, experiment with advanced options, and debug a hypothetical issue using git diff.

Coming Up Next

In the next part of this series, we’ll explore common Git issues and challenges faced by developers, along with practical solutions to resolve them.

Part 10 of 24 in Git Mastery Series: From Beginner to Expert
All Posts in This Series