Diff Preview & Analysis

Preview, explain, and analyze git changes with AI assistance.

Prerequisites

# Git
git --version

# Gemini for AI explanations
pip install google-generativeai
export GEMINI_API_KEY=your_api_key

CLI Reference

Basic Diff Commands

# Working directory changes
git diff

# Staged changes
git diff --staged
git diff --cached

# Specific file
git diff path/to/file.ts

# Between commits
git diff abc123 def456

# Between branches
git diff main feature-branch
git diff main...feature-branch  # Since branch diverged

# Show stat summary
git diff --stat
git diff --shortstat

# Name only
git diff --name-only
git diff --name-status  # With status (M/A/D)

Diff Output Options

# Word diff (better for prose)
git diff --word-diff

# Color words
git diff --color-words

# Ignore whitespace
git diff -w
git diff --ignore-all-space

# Context lines
git diff -U10  # 10 lines of context (default 3)

# Show function names
git diff --function-context

Commit Comparison

# Last commit
git diff HEAD~1

# Last N commits
git diff HEAD~5

# Specific commit range
git diff abc123..def456

# What changed in a specific commit
git show abc123

AI-Powered Analysis

Explain Changes

# Get diff and explain
DIFF=$(git diff --staged)
gemini -m pro -o text -e "" "Explain these code changes in plain English:

$DIFF

Summarize:
1. What was changed
2. Why it might have been changed
3. Any potential issues"

Impact Analysis

DIFF=$(git diff main...feature-branch)
gemini -m pro -o text -e "" "Analyze the impact of these changes:

$DIFF

Consider:
1. Breaking changes
2. Performance implications
3. Security considerations
4. Files/systems affected
5. Testing recommendations"

Pre-Commit Review

# Review staged changes before commit
git diff --staged | gemini -m pro -o text -e "" "Review this code diff for:
1. Bugs or issues
2. Code style problems
3. Missing error handling
4. Security concerns

Provide specific line references if issues found."

Generate Commit Message

DIFF=$(git diff --staged)
gemini -m pro -o text -e "" "Based on this diff, suggest a commit message:

$DIFF

Use conventional commit format (feat/fix/chore/etc).
First line under 50 chars, then details."

Comparison Patterns

Compare Branches

# Summary
git diff main feature-branch --stat

# Full diff
git diff main feature-branch

# Since branch point
git diff main...feature-branch

# Commits unique to feature branch
git log main..feature-branch --oneline

Find What Changed

# What files changed between commits
git diff --name-only abc123 def456

# What changed in a file
git log -p -- path/to/file.ts

# When was a line added
git blame path/to/file.ts

Merge Preview

# Preview merge conflicts
git merge --no-commit --no-ff feature-branch
git diff --staged
git merge --abort  # Clean up

Workflow Patterns

Pre-Commit Check

#!/bin/bash
# Check staged changes before commit

echo "=== Changes to commit ==="
git diff --staged --stat

echo ""
echo "=== Detailed diff ==="
git diff --staged

echo ""
read -p "Proceed with commit? (y/n) " -n 1 -r
if [[ $REPLY =~ ^[Yy]$ ]]; then
  git commit
fi

PR Review Prep

# Get full PR diff for review
BASE=${1:-main}
BRANCH=$(git branch --show-current)

echo "=== Files changed ==="
git diff $BASE...$BRANCH --name-status

echo ""
echo "=== Stats ==="
git diff $BASE...$BRANCH --shortstat

echo ""
echo "=== AI Summary ==="
git diff $BASE...$BRANCH | gemini -m pro -o text -e "" "Summarize this PR's changes for a code reviewer. Focus on the intent and key changes."

Track Specific Changes

# Find all changes to a function
git log -p -S "functionName" -- "*.ts"

# Find changes mentioning something
git log -p --grep="JIRA-123"

Best Practices

1. Review before commit - Always check git diff --staged
2. Use stat first - Get overview before full diff
3. Compare with base - Use main...branch for PR context
4. Ignore whitespace - Use -w for meaningful changes
5. Request AI review - For complex changes
6. Save important diffs - Redirect to file for reference