diff
To perform a 'diff' is to view the differences between two files. Vim will automatically show you the different areas by highlighting the lines. You can easily copy those portions between the files if desired.
diff from command line
diff's are so common that vim comes with a command just for them. To start vim in diff mode with two files, use the vimdiff command:
vimdiff <file1> <file2>
diff after vim is started
If vim is already running, open the first file. Type the following (command mode):
:diffsplit file2
diff preferences
You can adjust your .vimrc file to customize your diff usage. A common viewing preference is to make diff's show up vertically, instead of horizontally.
" make vertical the default diff split (filler was already there) set diffopt=filler,vertical
Winmerge is a popular Windows-only application, dedicated to managing diffs. You can simulate the behavior of the Winmerge keys with the following:
" disable cmd opt mappings for MacVim (interferes with winmerge mappings) let macvim_skip_cmd_opt_movement = 1 " use diff navigation like winmerge, using alt with up, down, left, right nnoremap <M-Down> ]c nnoremap <M-Up> [c function! CopyToLeft() if !&diff return endif let currwin = winnr() if( currwin == 1 ) :diffget else :diffput endif endfunction function! CopyToRight() if !&diff return endif let currwin = winnr() if( currwin == 1 ) :diffput else :diffget endif endfunction nnoremap <M-Right> :call CopyToRight()<CR> nnoremap <M-Left> :call CopyToLeft()<CR>
diffs on directories (multiple files)
Vim by default only handles diffs between files. If you need to analyze entire directories, try using the DirDiff plugin for vim.