What is Text Diff Tool?
Text Diff Tool is a free online tool for comparing the differences between two texts and displaying changes in an intuitive way with highlighting. It uses the LCS (Longest Common Subsequence) algorithm to accurately identify added, deleted, and modified lines.
Whether it’s code review, document comparison, or copy editing, this tool helps you quickly spot differences and save time.
How to Use This Tool?
- Enter Text: Enter or paste the text to compare in the left and right text boxes.
- Select Options: Check “Ignore Case” or “Ignore Whitespace” as needed.
- View Results: The diff results display in real-time in the comparison area below.
- Show Line Numbers: Enable the “Show Line Numbers” option to easily locate differences.
Key Features
- Highlighting: Green highlights added lines, red highlights deleted lines
- LCS Algorithm: Uses Longest Common Subsequence for accurate diff detection
- Ignore Options: Supports ignoring case and whitespace
- Line Numbers: Optional display of line numbers for easy navigation
- Client-side Processing: Data stays on your device, protecting your privacy
Diff Result Legend
| Color | Meaning | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Green | Added | Lines in right text but not in left |
| Red | Deleted | Lines in left text but not in right |
| None | Unchanged | Lines that are the same, no action needed |
Use Cases
- Code Review: Compare code changes, quickly find modifications
- Document Comparison: Compare two versions of documents
- Copy Editing: Check changes before and after text editing
- Config Comparison: Compare differences in configuration files
- Data Verification: Quickly find changes in data tables
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is this tool safe?
Absolutely safe. This tool runs entirely in your browser (client-side processing). Your text is not uploaded to any server.
How large text can it handle?
Browsers have limitations on the size of text that can be processed at once. It is recommended to keep text under 1MB (about 1 million characters) per comparison. For larger text, consider processing in batches.
How do I find the exact location of changes?
Enable the “Show Line Numbers” option, then use line numbers to quickly locate where the differences are. Different lines are highlighted in color for easy identification.
What’s the difference between Ignore Case and Ignore Whitespace?
- Ignore Case: Converts all letters to the same case for comparison. For example, “ABC” and “abc” are treated as identical.
- Ignore Whitespace: Ignores whitespace differences in text. For example, “hello world” and “hello world” are treated as identical.
You can enable both options simultaneously for more flexible comparison results.