How to use an external diff tool for Git in Visual Studio 2013?

Question

I\'ve found this post that explains how you can have Visual Studio 2013 use the built-in diff tool when comparing files in Git, but I\'m having the opposite problem. Right now w

Answer 1

I have had the same issue recently in Visual Studio 2012. I will post the solution here as this is the first thread I found when searching.

My .gitconfig file looked like this:

[merge]
    tool = kdiff3
[diff]
    tool = kdiff3
[difftool]
    prompt = true

[difftool "kdiff3"]
    path = "C:/Program Files/KDiff3/kdiff3.exe"
    keepBackup = false
    trustExitCode = true
[mergetool]
    prompt = true

[mergetool "kdiff3"]
    cmd = "C:/Program Files/KDiff3/kdiff3.exe" $BASE $LOCAL $REMOTE -o $MERGED
    keepBackup = false
    trustExitCode = true

[mergetool "vsdiffmerge"]
    cmd = "C:/Program Files (x86)/Microsoft Visual Studio 12.0/Common7/IDE/vsdiffmerge.exe" /m $REMOTE $LOCAL $BASE $MERGED
    keepbackup = false
    trustexistcode = true

The problem was the newlines between config sections.

Changing the file to this worked correctly:

[merge]
    tool = kdiff3
[diff]
    tool = kdiff3
[difftool]
    prompt = true
[difftool "kdiff3"]
    path = "C:/Program Files/KDiff3/kdiff3.exe"
    keepBackup = false
    trustExitCode = true
[mergetool]
    prompt = true
[mergetool "kdiff3"]
    cmd = "C:/Program Files/KDiff3/kdiff3.exe" $BASE $LOCAL $REMOTE -o $MERGED
    keepBackup = false
    trustExitCode = true
[mergetool "vsdiffmerge"]
    cmd = "C:/Program Files (x86)/Microsoft Visual Studio 12.0/Common7/IDE/vsdiffmerge.exe" /m $REMOTE $LOCAL $BASE $MERGED
    keepbackup = false
    trustexistcode = true