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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesdiff2html-cli turns Git or unified diff output into a readable HTML review. Install it with npm, choose whether the input comes from a Git command, a saved diff file, or standard input, then preview the result, save it as HTML, or send output to stdout. Use -s side for a side-by-side layout or -s line for a line-by-line view.
Install diff2html-cli
The npm package is installed globally with:
npm install -g diff2html-cliThe package metadata lists version 5.2.15. The project describes the utility as a terminal tool for generating HTML diffs from unified and Git diff output. See the diff2html-cli npm package and the official project repository.
Generate an HTML diff from Git
Use -i command to have the CLI run a Git diff command. Put the CLI options first, then --, then the arguments passed to Git:
diff2html -s line -f html -d word -i command -o preview -- -M HEAD~1This documented example previews the diff for HEAD~1 in a browser, using a line-by-line layout and word-level highlighting. The -- separator matters: it marks where diff2html-cli options end and the Git arguments begin.
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Choose an input source
Run a Git command
Use -i command when you want diff2html-cli to obtain the diff from Git. Git-specific options go after --, as in the preceding example.
Read a saved diff file
Use -i file and give the diff file path after the separator:
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diff2html -i file -- my-file-diff.diffRead diff text from stdin
Pipe unified diff output into the CLI with -i stdin:
diff -u file1.txt file2.txt | diff2html -i stdinChoose the layout and diff detail
The -s option selects the comparison layout: line displays changes line by line, while side places the compared versions side by side. The related Diff2Html library calls these formats “line-by-line” and “side-by-side.” The --diffStyle option controls word- or character-level highlighting, and --matching can be used for line or word matching. Consult the CLI README for the available options and values.
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Preview, save, or emit the result
Preview in a browser
Set -o preview to open a browser preview, as in the Git example above.
Save HTML to a file
Use -F or --file to write the generated HTML to a named file:
diff2html -F my-pretty-diff.html -- -M HEAD~1Write output to stdout
Set the output format and choose -o stdout to write to standard output. For example, this command emits JSON rather than HTML:
diff2html -f json -o stdout -- -M HEAD~1Choose the format and output destination that match the next step in your workflow: a browser review, an HTML artifact, or output consumed by another command.
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Review aids and large-diff controls
The CLI offers options for file summaries, toggling file contents, synchronized horizontal scrolling, syntax highlighting, and automatic, light, or dark color schemes. It also exposes limits for changed lines, line length, comparisons, and highlighting. Those controls can keep very large diffs or unusually long lines from being rendered without limit; they are configuration controls, not published performance guarantees. Option names and supported values are documented in the project README.
Customize the HTML wrapper
Use --htmlWrapperTemplate to supply a custom HTML shell. The template needs the documented Diff2Html CSS and UI placeholders in its <head>, and a <div id="diff"> in its <body> containing <!--diff2html-diff-->. The project’s sample wrapper initializes Diff2HtmlUI after DOMContentLoaded; it can also enable file-list toggling, synchronized scrolling, and code highlighting. See the custom wrapper documentation and sample before adapting the template.
Understand exit statuses
| Exit status | Documented meaning |
|---|---|
| 0 | Success |
| 1 | Generic error |
| 3 | Input diff is empty |
| 4 | HTML wrapper template path is invalid |
If a Git-based command fails unexpectedly, first check that the Git arguments follow --. For an empty-diff result, verify that the input source produced diff text.
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