Git Diff with Beyond Compare

Question

I have succeeded in getting git to start Beyond Compare 3 as a diff tool however, when I do a diff, the file I am comparing against is not being loaded. Only the latest ver

Answer 1

Thanks to @dahlbyk, the author of Posh-Git, for posting his config as a gist. It helped me resolve my configuration issue.

[diff]
    tool = bc3
[difftool]
    prompt = false
[difftool "bc3"]
    cmd = \"c:/program files (x86)/beyond compare 3/bcomp.exe\" \"$LOCAL\" \"$REMOTE\"
[merge]
    tool = bc3
[mergetool]
    prompt = false
    keepBackup = false
[mergetool "bc3"]
    cmd = \"c:/program files (x86)/beyond compare 3/bcomp.exe\" \"$LOCAL\" \"$REMOTE\" \"$BASE\" \"$MERGED\"
    trustExitCode = true
[alias]
    dt = difftool
    mt = mergetool

Answer 2

Run these commands for Beyond Compare 2:

git config --global diff.tool bc2
git config --global difftool.bc2.cmd "\"c:/program files (x86)/beyond compare 2/bc2.exe\" \"$LOCAL\" \"$REMOTE\""
git config --global difftool.prompt false

Run these commands for Beyond Compare 3:

git config --global diff.tool bc3
git config --global difftool.bc3.cmd "\"c:/program files (x86)/beyond compare 3/bcomp.exe\" \"$LOCAL\" \"$REMOTE\""
git config --global difftool.prompt false

Then use git difftool

Answer 3

The difference is in the exe being called: set it up to call bcomp.exe and it'll work fine. Configure your environment to call bcompare.exe and you'll end up with the side of the comparison taken from your revision system being empty.

Answer 4

Official documentation worked for me

Answer 5

The Beyond Compare support page is a bit brief.

Check my diff.external answer for more (regarding the exact syntax)

Extract:

$ git config --global diff.external <path_to_wrapper_script>

at the command prompt, replacing with the path to "git-diff-wrapper.sh", so your ~/.gitconfig contains

-->8-(snip)--
[diff]
    external = <path_to_wrapper_script>
--8<-(snap)--

Be sure to use the correct syntax to specify the paths to the wrapper script and diff tool, i.e. use forward slashed instead of backslashes. In my case, I have

[diff]
    external = c:/Documents and Settings/sschuber/git-diff-wrapper.sh

in .gitconfig and

"d:/Program Files/Beyond Compare 3/BCompare.exe" "$2" "$5" | cat

in the wrapper script.

---

Note: you can also use git difftool.

Answer 6

Here is my config file. It took some wrestling but now it is working. I am using windows server, msysgit and beyond compare 3 (apparently an x86 version). Youll notice that I dont need to specify any arguments, and I use "path" instead of "cmd".

[user]
        name = PeteW
        email = petew@petew.com
[diff]
        tool = bc3
[difftool]
        prompt = false
[difftool "bc3"]
        path = /c/Program Files (x86)/Beyond Compare 3/BComp.exe
[merge]
        tool = bc3
[mergetool]
        prompt = false
        keepBackup = false
[mergetool "bc3"]
        path = /c/Program Files (x86)/Beyond Compare 3/BComp.exe
        trustExitCode = true
[alias]
        dt = difftool
        mt = mergetool