Comparing Files in Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code (VS Code) provides a built-in feature to compare files, making it easy to identify differences between two versions of a file. This tutorial will guide you through the various methods to compare files in VS Code.

Comparing Files from the Explorer

To compare two files from the explorer, follow these steps:

1. Open the folder containing the files you want to compare.
2. Select the two files by holding down the Shift key and clicking on each file.
3. Right-click on one of the selected files and choose "Compare Selected" from the context menu.

Alternatively, you can also compare files by dragging and dropping them into VS Code, selecting both files, and then choosing "Select for Compare" from the context menu.

Comparing Files using the Command Palette

Another way to compare files is by using the Command Palette. To do this:

1. Open the starting file.
2. Press F1 or Ctrl + Shift + P to open the Command Palette.
3. Type "Compare Active File" and select "Compare Active File With…" from the dropdown list.
4. Select the new file to compare with, either by choosing a recent file from the dropdown list or clicking on any file in the Explorer panel.

Comparing In-Memory Documents or Tabs

If you want to compare text without saving it to files first, you can create two new tabs and paste the text into each tab. To do this:

1. Open two new tabs by pressing Ctrl + N twice.
2. Paste your first text sample into the first tab and your second text sample into the second tab.
3. In the "Open Editors" view, select the first document with "Select for Compare".
4. Select the second document with "Compare with Selected".

Comparing Files from the Command Line

You can also compare files using the command line by running the following command:

code -d left.txt right.txt

Note: Make sure to add code to your system’s PATH environment variable first.

In conclusion, VS Code provides multiple ways to compare files, making it easy to identify differences between two versions of a file. Whether you prefer comparing files from the explorer, using the Command Palette, or creating new tabs, VS Code has got you covered.