cwdiff
cwdiff is a command-line wrapper for wdiff that compares directories and displays differences in color.
What cwdiff is
cwdiff is a command-line wrapper for wdiff that compares directories and displays differences in color. It is listed for Linux command-line use and is free, with a plan price of no cost. The README describes configuring it as a Mercurial extdiff command and invoking it with hg wdiff. Users can suppress colored output by adding --no-color to the wdiff options. The project is a shell-language repository. Listed ways to obtain it include a tarball and packages for MacPorts, Arch Linux AUR, NetBSD, and Gentoo. A NetBSD package page lists a NetBSD 10.0 binary package for version 0.4.0 and no runtime dependencies. Documentation is hosted on junghans.github.io, and the repository directs bug reports to GitHub Issues. The NetBSD package page lists GNU GPL version 2 as the license.
Good
- Compares directories through a wdiff wrapper.
- Colorizes output, with an option to disable colors.
- Can be configured as a Mercurial extdiff command.
- Listed packages include MacPorts, NetBSD, and Gentoo.
- No runtime dependencies are listed for the NetBSD package.
Watch out
- The stated platform is Linux command line.
- NetBSD package details are for version 0.4.0.
- No paid plans or usage limits are stated.
Who it suits
cwdiff suits Linux command-line users who want to compare directories with wdiff and see colorized differences. Mercurial users can configure it as an extdiff command.
Verdict
cwdiff offers a focused directory-comparison workflow for Linux command-line users, including a documented Mercurial setup. Check the listed platform and package options against your environment before choosing it.
Plans and prices
From cwdiff's own pricing page, checked 4 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| cwdiff | Free | No paid plans or usage limits stated |
The facts
Each one read from cwdiff's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Color option
- The README says to add --no-color to the wdiff options to disable colors.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Documentation
- The README links to project documentation hosted on junghans.github.io.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Downloads
- The README lists a tarball, MacPorts, Arch Linux AUR, NetBSD, and Gentoo packages.checked 4 Oct 2026
- License
- The NetBSD package page lists the license as GNU GPL version 2.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Maintainer
- The GitHub account associated with the repository identifies its owner as Christoph Junghans.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Maintainer location
- The maintainer profile lists Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Mercurial setup
- The README describes configuring cwdiff as a Mercurial extdiff command and running it with hg wdiff.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Operating system package
- The NetBSD package page provides a NetBSD 10.0 binary package for cwdiff 0.4.0.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Project type
- GitHub describes the project as a shell-language repository.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- cwdiff is a wrapper for wdiff that supports directories and colorizes output.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Runtime dependencies
- The NetBSD package page lists no runtime dependencies.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Support
- The repository directs users to GitHub Issues to report bugs.checked 4 Oct 2026
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