LaTeX Compilable Diff from Git Timeline

Create a LaTeX‑compilable diff .tex using latexdiff directly from VS Code. Compile the generated .tex to get a PDF that visually highlights all modifications:

• Additions shown in blue
• Deletions shown in red

Use it from the Git Timeline/Source Control or Explorer via right‑click.

Quick Start

1. Open your LaTeX project in VS Code
2. Right‑click a .tex file in Source Control (Changes/History) or Explorer
3. Select "Generate LaTeX Diff"
4. Choose OLD and NEW versions (can be commits or working directory)
5. A diff_<old>_to_<new>_<file>.tex is created
6. Compile it: pdflatex diff_...tex → open the PDF to see changes highlighted

Detailed Workflows

Workflow 1: Compare Two Commits

Compare edits between any two historical versions.

• Right‑click .tex file in Source Control (History tab)
• Select "Generate LaTeX Diff"
• Pick the older commit as OLD
• Pick the newer commit as NEW
• Compile the resulting diff .tex to review changes in PDF

Workflow 2: Review Uncommitted Changes

See what you've changed locally before staging or committing.

• Make edits to your .tex file
• Right‑click the file in Source Control (Changes tab)
• Select "Generate LaTeX Diff"
• Pick a commit (e.g., HEAD) as OLD
• Pick "Working Directory (Uncommitted Changes)" as NEW
• Compile to review your pending edits in PDF

Workflow 3: Code Review Preparation

Create a diff to share with collaborators.

• After committing, run the extension
• Select HEAD~1 (previous commit) as OLD
• Select HEAD (your commit) as NEW
• Share the generated diff_....tex and compiled PDF

Usage

• Open your LaTeX project in VS Code.
• Find your .tex file in Source Control (Changes/History) or in Explorer.
• Right‑click → Generate LaTeX Diff.
• Choose the OLD version, then the NEW version:
  • Select Working Directory (Uncommitted Changes) to compare against your current edits.
  • Or pick any two commits from the file history.
• The extension creates diff_<old>_to_<new>_<file>.tex next to your source and offers to open it.
• Compile the diff .tex to get a PDF with changes highlighted (see Compilation Guide below).

Output

• A self‑contained .tex produced by latexdiff that compiles like any LaTeX file.
• The resulting PDF shows tracked changes (blue additions, red deletions) for quick review.

What's in the Diff File?

The generated .tex contains:

• Original content with deletions marked: \textcolor{red}{\sout{deleted text}}
• New content with additions marked: \textcolor{blue}{added text}
• All preamble, packages, and macros from the original files
• Compilable as‑is; no additional dependencies needed beyond TeX Live/MacTeX

Customizing Diff Appearance

To change colors (e.g., red → orange for deletions):

• Open the generated diff .tex
• Find \definecolor or \textcolor commands
• Adjust the RGB values or color names
• Recompile

Compilation Guide

Using pdflatex (most common)

cd /path/to/your/project
pdflatex diff_old_to_new_file.tex
open diff_old_to_new_file.pdf

Using xelatex (Unicode support)

xelatex diff_old_to_new_file.tex

Using lualatex (modern alternative)

lualatex diff_old_to_new_file.tex

Resolving Compilation Errors

• Missing packages: The diff inherits packages from your original .tex. Install missing packages via tlmgr or your TeX distribution.
• Encoding issues: Try xelatex or add \usepackage[utf8]{inputenc} to the preamble.
• Large files: For very long diffs, increase TeX memory: pdflatex -interaction=nonstopmode diff_....tex

Context Menus

• Source Control: appears on items in Changes and History
• Explorer: appears on .tex files

Dependencies & Requirements

• Extension: Zero npm runtime dependencies; uses only Node.js builtins and VS Code API
• System: latexdiff command (comes with TeX Live/MacTeX)
• TeX: Any recent TeX distribution (TeX Live 2020+, MacTeX 2020+, MiKTeX)

FAQ

Q: Why is the diff file empty?

A: The two versions are identical. Verify you selected different commits or that your working directory has actual changes.

Q: Can I compare files across branches?

A: The extension currently compares commits in the current branch. To compare across branches, check out the branch first or use Git command line: latexdiff <(git show branch1:file.tex) <(git show branch2:file.tex) > diff.tex

Q: Does it work with binary files or special formats?

A: No; latexdiff only works with plain text .tex files. It does not support .lyx, .odt, or binary formats.

Q: How do I ignore certain sections from the diff?

A: Edit the generated .tex manually, or use latexdiff command‑line options (the extension uses basic defaults). See latexdiff documentation.

Q: Can I see a preview without compiling?

A: No; you must compile to PDF. VS Code's LaTeX Workshop extension (if installed) can auto‑preview. Otherwise, compile manually and open the PDF.

Q: What if latexdiff is not found?

A: Ensure TeX Live or MacTeX is installed and /Library/TeX/texbin is in your PATH. Test with:

which latexdiff
latexdiff --version

Development & Contributing

Local Setup

git clone https://github.com/MShirazAhmad/latex-diff-from-git-timeline.git
cd latex-diff-from-git-timeline
npm install
npm run compile
code .

Test Locally

1. Open the extension folder in VS Code
2. Press F5 to launch Extension Development Host
3. Open a LaTeX project with Git history
4. Test right‑click on a .tex file

Build & Package

npm run compile
npx vsce package
# Creates: latex-diff-from-timeline-1.0.0.vsix

Code Structure

• src/extension.ts — main command handler
• package.json — VS Code manifest and metadata
• tsconfig.json — TypeScript config

Extending

To add features (e.g., custom diff options, inline previews):

1. Edit src/extension.ts
2. Update package.json commands/menus if needed
3. Run npm run compile
4. Test with F5 launch
5. Commit and push

Quick Commands

• Reinstall updated build:

code --uninstall-extension mshirazahmad.latex-diff-from-timeline
code --install-extension /path/to/latex-diff-from-timeline-1.0.0.vsix

• Package VSIX (from extension folder):

npm run compile
npx vsce package

Troubleshooting

• Command not visible: Reload window (Cmd+R) and ensure you right‑click a .tex item.
• latexdiff not found: Verify with which latexdiff. On macOS, ensure /Library/TeX/texbin is in PATH.
• No history: Stage/commit the file so history exists, or compare commit ↔ working directory.
• Shell quoting: The extension writes temp files and invokes latexdiff on those to avoid quoting issues.

Notes

• Works with at least one commit; can compare commit↔commit or commit↔working.
• Diff files are created alongside the original .tex file.

License

MIT — see LICENSE for details.

Feedback & Issues

Found a bug or have a feature request? Open an issue on GitHub.