commit 45b4bbac281b518e86906f39f1b4119ae0905012
parent 3e8a4e10920dc6431547035eec514cdd21e37a3a
Author: Tomas Slusny <slusnucky@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 28 Feb 2026 17:03:44 +0100
feat(difftool): replace old "nvim -d" automatically #38057
Problem:
"nvim -d" doesn't leverage nvim.difftool.
Solution:
If nvim.difftool was enabled via :packadd, automatically
handle "nvim -d" on startup.
nvim -c "packadd nvim.difftool" -d dir1/ dir2/
Diffstat:
4 files changed, 57 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)
diff --git a/runtime/doc/plugins.txt b/runtime/doc/plugins.txt
@@ -48,14 +48,14 @@ Builtin plugin: difftool *difftool*
:DiffTool {left} {right} *:DiffTool*
Compares two directories or files side-by-side.
Supports directory diffing, rename detection, and highlights changes
-in quickfix list.
+in quickfix list. Replaces the built-in `nvim -d` diff mode with this interface.
The plugin is not loaded by default; use `:packadd nvim.difftool` before
invoking `:DiffTool`.
-Example `git difftool -d` integration using `DiffTool` command: >ini
+Example `git difftool -d` integration using `nvim -d` replacement: >ini
[difftool "nvim_difftool"]
- cmd = nvim -c \"packadd nvim.difftool\" -c \"DiffTool $LOCAL $REMOTE\"
+ cmd = nvim -c \"packadd nvim.difftool\" -d \"$LOCAL\" \"$REMOTE\"
[diff]
tool = nvim_difftool
<
diff --git a/runtime/pack/dist/opt/nvim.difftool/lua/difftool.lua b/runtime/pack/dist/opt/nvim.difftool/lua/difftool.lua
@@ -3,16 +3,16 @@
---:DiffTool {left} {right} *:DiffTool*
---Compares two directories or files side-by-side.
---Supports directory diffing, rename detection, and highlights changes
----in quickfix list.
+---in quickfix list. Replaces the built-in `nvim -d` diff mode with this interface.
---</pre>
---
--- The plugin is not loaded by default; use `:packadd nvim.difftool` before invoking `:DiffTool`.
---
---- Example `git difftool -d` integration using `DiffTool` command:
+--- Example `git difftool -d` integration using `nvim -d` replacement:
---
--- ```ini
--- [difftool "nvim_difftool"]
---- cmd = nvim -c \"packadd nvim.difftool\" -c \"DiffTool $LOCAL $REMOTE\"
+--- cmd = nvim -c \"packadd nvim.difftool\" -d \"$LOCAL\" \"$REMOTE\"
--- [diff]
--- tool = nvim_difftool
--- ```
diff --git a/runtime/pack/dist/opt/nvim.difftool/plugin/difftool.lua b/runtime/pack/dist/opt/nvim.difftool/plugin/difftool.lua
@@ -10,3 +10,23 @@ vim.api.nvim_create_user_command('DiffTool', function(opts)
vim.notify('Usage: DiffTool <left> <right>', vim.log.levels.ERROR)
end
end, { nargs = '*', complete = 'file' })
+
+-- If we are in diff mode (e.g. `nvim -d file1 file2`), open the difftool automatically.
+local function start_diff()
+ if not vim.o.diff then
+ return
+ end
+ local args = vim.v.argf
+ if #args == 2 then
+ vim.schedule(function()
+ require('difftool').open(args[1], args[2])
+ end)
+ end
+end
+if vim.v.vim_did_enter > 0 then
+ start_diff()
+ return
+end
+vim.api.nvim_create_autocmd('VimEnter', {
+ callback = start_diff,
+})
diff --git a/test/functional/plugin/difftool_spec.lua b/test/functional/plugin/difftool_spec.lua
@@ -115,4 +115,35 @@ describe('nvim.difftool', function()
local autocmds = fn.nvim_get_autocmds({ group = 'nvim.difftool.events' })
assert(#autocmds > 0, 'autocmds should still exist after closing quickfix window')
end)
+
+ it('opens difftool automatically when started with nvim -d', function()
+ -- Start Neovim with -d flag for directory diff
+ clear({
+ args = {
+ '--cmd',
+ 'packadd nvim.difftool',
+ '-d',
+ testdir_left,
+ testdir_right,
+ },
+ })
+
+ -- Wait for difftool to open
+ n.poke_eventloop()
+
+ -- Verify we have 3 windows (left, right, and quickfix)
+ eq(3, #fn.getwininfo())
+
+ -- Verify quickfix list has the expected entries
+ local qflist = fn.getqflist()
+ local entries = {}
+ for _, item in ipairs(qflist) do
+ table.insert(entries, { text = item.text, rel = item.user_data and item.user_data.rel })
+ end
+ eq({
+ { text = 'M', rel = 'file1.txt' },
+ { text = 'D', rel = 'file2.txt' },
+ { text = 'A', rel = 'file3.txt' },
+ }, entries)
+ end)
end)
