duodiff 0.7.0

A fast, cross-platform terminal user interface (TUI) directory comparison tool
duodiff-0.7.0 is not a library.

duodiff

CI crates.io License: MIT

duodiff is a fast, cross-platform terminal user interface (TUI) directory comparison tool written in Rust.

duodiff demo

Features

  • Side-by-Side Tree View: Balanced, clean double-pane tree view aligning matched, differing, and missing folders/files.
  • Asynchronous Scanner: Directory comparison and checksum calculations run in non-blocking background threads, keeping the TUI completely fluid and responsive.
  • Vim Keys & Mouse Support: Navigable via arrow keys, hjkl, Ctrl+f/Ctrl+b page scroll, tab-focus switching (1/2), mouse clicks (double-click to open/expand), and synchronized mouse scrolling.
  • Flexible Comparison Modes: Fast (default; size and modification time) or Precise (streaming SHA-256 of the contents). The choice persists, and --scan-mode <fast|precise> overrides it for one session.
  • Honest Row States: = no difference found, ≈ content unverified (the bytes were not compared — same size but a different timestamp in Fast mode, or an unreadable side in Precise mode), ≠ an established difference, ⬅ / ➡ present on one side only, 💥 file/directory conflict.
  • Built-in Diff View: In-app color-coded side-by-side file contents diff with intraline highlighting, next/previous change jumps, and per-hunk copy ([ / ]).
  • Interactive File Sync: Copy files or folders between panes with L / R (confirmation required).
  • Filter & Search: Inline / filter bar, with optional diffs-only mode.
  • Directory Swap: Swap left and right comparison roots with s and re-scan.
  • External Diff Tool & Editor: Configure and launch external diff tools (vim, nvim, code, meld, bcomp, smerge, ksdiff, difft) to compare differing file pairs, or open the selected file in your external editor (using $VISUAL or $EDITOR).
  • Configuration Screen & Persistence: A built-in configuration UI to detect system-installed diff tools and save your selection to ~/.config/duodiff/config.toml (honors XDG_CONFIG_HOME when set).
  • Light/Dark Theme: Press T from anywhere to toggle between the dark (default) and light colour theme; the choice persists across restarts.
  • Command Palette: One searchable command surface for every screen, opened with ;, Ctrl+p, or a right-click. Type to search, Up/Down to select, Enter to run; commands that cannot run right now stay listed with the reason.
  • Help: Topic-based in-app Help (?).
  • Self-Upgrade: Optional background update check and duodiff --upgrade for standalone installs.

Installation

Recommended — download a checksummed prebuilt binary (no Rust toolchain):

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/akunzai/duodiff/main/install.sh | bash

On Windows, use the PowerShell installer instead of piping install.sh into bash.

Homebrew, Scoop, crates.io, manual download, build-from-source, and cargo binstall are documented in docs/INSTALL.md.

Keyboard & Mouse Shortcuts

A comprehensive list of keyboard shortcuts and mouse interactions for navigating the directory tree, viewing file diffs, and managing files/folders is documented in docs/SHORTCUTS.md.

Configuration

Most settings are easiest to change from the in-app Config screen (C), which persists your choice immediately. To configure by hand instead, copy config.example.toml to ~/.config/duodiff/config.toml (or $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/duodiff/config.toml if set) and edit it — all fields are optional.

Key Type Default Meaning
external_diff_tool string "auto" External diff tool for the D key: "auto" (default; resolves first available tool), "disabled", or a pinned tool ("vim", "nvim", "code", "meld", "bcomp", "smerge", "ksdiff", "difft").
check_updates bool true Daily background check for a newer GitHub release.
mouse bool true Mouse support (click, scroll, double-click). --no-mouse also disables it for one session.
theme string "dark" Colour theme: "dark" or "light". Press T to toggle and persist.
diff_context integer 3 Unchanged context lines shown around each hunk in the collapsed File Diff view (f toggles full vs. collapsed).
scan_mode string "fast" Scan mode: "fast" (size + mtime) or "precise" (streaming SHA-256). Change it with c, the Config screen, or the palette — all persist. --scan-mode <fast|precise> overrides it for one session without writing the file.
respect_gitignore bool true Read each root's nested .gitignore rules. --gitignore / --no-gitignore override it for one session.
global_exclusions string list built-in VCS/junk list Rules for both roots, before their .gitignore and .duodiffignore rules. Set [] to disable defaults; repeated --exclude patterns are session-only and take precedence.