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Compare Refs

The Compare Refs tab is a detail tab that shows file-level differences between two git refs — branches, tags, or commit SHAs.

Selecting Refs

Two dropdown selectors let you choose the base (from) and head (to) refs. Both are populated with local branches, remote branches, and tags. You can also enter custom commit SHAs.

The Swap button instantly reverses the base and head refs.

Ref Mode vs SHA Mode

  • Ref mode — when comparing named branches or tags, dropdown selectors are shown
  • SHA mode — when both refs are commit hashes, commit details (hash, message, author, date) are displayed instead of selectors

Files Changed

The comparison shows a summary of total files changed, additions, and deletions, followed by an expandable list of changed files.

Each file displays:

  • Status badge (Added, Modified, Deleted, Renamed)
  • File path
  • Addition/deletion counts
  • Split-diff button — opens a side-by-side diff

Diffs load lazily when you expand a file, and are cached during the session.

Click a filename to open the file in the File Editor.

Keyboard Shortcuts

ShortcutAction
SSwap base and head refs
RRefresh comparison
EnterToggle first file diff
Arrow Up/DownNavigate between files