Command line (dp)

dp.bat lives in the DiffPlug installation directory. All you have to do is add this directory to your system path.

If it's not working as expected:

• open new cmd prompt
• run where dp
• it should print the directory you just added
• if it doesn't, there is another folder earlier in the path with dp

The dp executable lives in the DiffPlug.app/Contents/Resources/dp. To make it easily available everywhere, just run

sudo ln -s /Applications/DiffPlug.app/Contents/Resources/dp /usr/local/bin/dp

If it's not working as expected:

• open a new terminal
• run which dp
• it should print /usr/local/bin/dp
• then ls -l /usr/local/bin/dp
• it should print /Applications/DiffPlug.app/Contents/Resources/dp

It is fine to put DiffPlug.app somewhere else besides /Applications, just change the instructions appropriately.

The dp executable lives in the <DiffPlug install directory>/dp. To make it easily available everywhere, just run

sudo ln -s <DiffPlug install directory>/dp /usr/local/bin/dp

If it's not working as expected:

• open a new terminal
• run which dp
• it should print /usr/local/bin/dp
• then ls -l /usr/local/bin/dp
• it should print <DiffPlug install directory>/dp

dp will connect to whichever instance of DiffPlug 2 was launched most recently.

To see what commands are available, simply run dp at a console.

cmd> dp
You must specify a command.

usage: dp <command> [args ...]

'dp help <command>' for more info.  Available commands:
add           Adds the given paths to the palette
cat           Dumps an entity's binary content to standard output
slurp         Slurps standard input into the given entity
ext           Integration with external vcs clients (open, diff, and merge)

To get help for a particular command, type dp help <command>

cmd> dp help ext
Integration with external vcs clients (open, diff, and merge)

usage: dp ext -before FILE [-after FILE] [-ours FILE] [-theirs FILE] [-result FILE]
-before FILE : base file
-after FILE  : 2-way diff - file after change
-ours FILE   : 3-way diff - file after our changes
-theirs FILE : 3-way diff - file after their changes
-result FILE : editiable version of file, converts diff to merge

<Further docs>

One of dp ext's features is that the dp will remain running so long as the files it referenced are still open in DiffPlug. You can have multiple calls to dp ext, and each will close at the appropriate time when you have stopped using those temporary files in DiffPlug.

This is especially important for comparing folders, and using DiffPlug as a conflict resolution tool.

Here are some quick integrations for common version control tools:

Set your ~/mercurial.ini to be similar to the following:

[tortoisehg]
vdiff=diffplug2

[merge-tools]
diffplug2.executable = PATH_TO_EXTRACTED_FOLDER\dp.bat
diffplug2.args = ext -flavor tortoiseHg -before $base -ours $local -theirs $other -result $output
diffplug2.diffargs= ext -flavor tortoiseHg -before $parent -after $child -beforeName '$plabel1' -afterName '$clabel'
diffplug2.diff3args= ext -flavor tortoiseHg -before $parent1 -beforeName '$plabel1' -ours $child -oursName '$clabel' -theirs $parent2 -theirsName '$plabel2'
diffplug2.binary = true
diffplug2.symlink = false
diffplug2.gui = true
diffplug2.priority = 1
diffplug2.dirdiff=True

[merge-patterns]
**.slx = diffplug2
**.mdl = diffplug2

[ui]
diff = diffplug2
merge = diffplug2

If you set your ~/.gitconfig to be similar to the following then:

[difftool "diffplug"]
	path = <path to dp, only needed if dp is not on path>
	cmd = dp ext -flavor git -before "$LOCAL" -beforeName "before:/$MERGED" -after "$REMOTE" -afterName "after:/$MERGED" -result "$MERGED"
[mergetool "diffplug"]
	path = <path to dp, only needed if dp is not on path>
	cmd = dp ext -flavor git -before "$BASE" -beforeName "before:/$MERGED" -ours "$LOCAL" -oursName "ours:/$MERGED" -theirs "$REMOTE" -theirsName "theirs:/$MERGED" -result "$MERGED"
[merge]
	tool = diffplug
	guitool = diffplug
[diff]
	tool = diffplug
	guitool = diffplug

• From the menu bar, select Tools -> Options
  • 
• In the Diff tab, set External Diff / Merge to:
  • Diff Arguments: ext -flavor git -before "$LOCAL" -beforeName "before:/$MERGED" -after "$REMOTE" -afterName "after:/$MERGED" -result "$MERGED"
  • Merge Arguments: ext -flavor git -before "$BASE" -beforeName "before:/$MERGED" -ours "$LOCAL" -oursName "ours:/$MERGED" -theirs "$REMOTE" -theirsName "theirs:/$MERGED" -result "$MERGED"
  • 
• Now, whenever you click a changed file, you can click the gear drop down and select External Diff to open the diff in DiffPlug.
  • 
• NOTE: SourceTree will only allow one "External Diff" to happen at a time. You have to close the previous diff in DiffPlug before SourceTree will initiate a new diff.