Git Diff and Merge Tool

Diff and merge tools can be integrated with Git so they are launched with git difftool <file> and git mergetool <file>.

This extension allows you to launch those tools from Visual Studio Code.

Demo

Setup

To register your diff/merge tool with Git you need to edit your .gitconfig file:

git config --global --edit

For example, this sets up Beyond Compare 4 on Windows:

[diff]
    tool = beyondcompare4
[difftool "beyondcompare4"]
    cmd = \"C:\\Program Files\\Beyond Compare 4\\bcomp.exe\" \"$LOCAL\" \"$REMOTE\"
[merge]
    tool = beyondcompare4
[mergetool]
    keepbackup = false
[mergetool "beyondcompare4"]
    cmd = \"C:\\Program Files\\Beyond Compare 4\\bcomp.exe\" \"$REMOTE\" \"$LOCAL\" \"$BASE\" \"$MERGED\"
    trustexitcode = true

keepbackup = false prevents the system from creating .orig backup files after a merge. trustexitcode = true tells Git that the diff tool's exit code can be trusted to determine the outcome of the merge.

Changelog

1.0.5

2021-10-02

• Added configuration option to disable the notification on launching the tool.
• Added error notification if VSCode fails to provide the command parameter, which can sometimes happen when the merge conflict list is being refreshed.