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mistralys/text-diff
===================

Class used to compare strings using a DIFF implementation.

2.1.0(2mo ago)27113.4k↓10.4%73MITPHPPHP >=8.4

Since Sep 10Pushed 2mo ago1 watchersCompare

[ Source](https://github.com/Mistralys/text-diff)[ Packagist](https://packagist.org/packages/mistralys/text-diff)[ RSS](/packages/mistralys-text-diff/feed)WikiDiscussions main Synced 1mo ago

READMEChangelog (5)Dependencies (8)Versions (7)Used By (3)

DIFF string comparison for PHP
==============================

[](#diff-string-comparison-for-php)

Class used to compare differences between two strings using a DIFF implementation, with the possibility to render the diff to HTML with highlighting.

Requirements
------------

[](#requirements)

- PHP 8.4+
- [Composer](https://getcomposer.org)

Installation
------------

[](#installation)

Require via composer:

```
composer require mistralys/text-diff

```

Or clone it locally via GIT, or download any of the [available releases](https://github.com/Mistralys/text-diff/releases).

Usage
-----

[](#usage)

### Comparing strings

[](#comparing-strings)

```
use Mistralys\Diff\Diff;

$diff = Diff::compareStrings('String 1', 'String 2');
```

### Comparing files

[](#comparing-files)

```
use Mistralys\Diff\Diff;

$diff = Diff::compareFiles('/path/to/file1', '/path/to/file2');
```

Once the diff instance has been created, choose any of the `toXXX`methods to retrieve the diff in your preferred format.

> **Important:** Each `Diff` instance is single-use. All render methods (`toString`, `toHTML`, `toHTMLTable`, `toArray`) call the internal diff engine which clears itself after the first run. Only call **one** render method per instance; create a new instance for each render.

```
use Mistralys\Diff\Diff;

// Each call gets its own instance:
$string = Diff::compareFiles('/path/to/file1', '/path/to/file2')->toString();
$html   = Diff::compareFiles('/path/to/file1', '/path/to/file2')->toHTML();
$table  = Diff::compareFiles('/path/to/file1', '/path/to/file2')->toHTMLTable();
$array  = Diff::compareFiles('/path/to/file1', '/path/to/file2')->toArray();
```

### Changing the comparison mode

[](#changing-the-comparison-mode)

By default, the comparison will be made per line. It can be changed to be done on a per-character basis.

Pass `true` as the third argument to the factory method:

```
use Mistralys\Diff\Diff;

$diff = Diff::compareFiles('/path/to/file1', '/path/to/file2', true);
```

Or use the fluent setter on an existing instance:

```
use Mistralys\Diff\Diff;

$diff = Diff::compareFiles('/path/to/file1', '/path/to/file2');
$diff->setCompareCharacters(true);
```

### HTML Highlighting

[](#html-highlighting)

The `toHTML` and `toHTMLTable` methods support highlighting the changes with the integrated CSS styles. To insert these, use the `Styler` class: it offers several ways to access the CSS.

```
use Mistralys\Diff\Diff;

$diff = Diff::compareFiles('/path/to/file1', '/path/to/file2');
$styler = Diff::createStyler();
```

From here, use any of the styler's methods according to your project's needs.

```
use Mistralys\Diff\Diff;

$styler = Diff::createStyler();

$css  = $styler->getCSS();                          // raw CSS string
$tag  = $styler->getStyleTag();                     // CSS wrapped in a  tag
$path = $styler->getStylesheetPath();               // absolute path to the stylesheet file
$url  = $styler->getStylesheetURL('/vendor');       // URL to the file, given the vendor folder URL
$link = $styler->getStylesheetTag('/vendor');       // a full  tag
```

For example, to show a highlighted diff with inline styles:

```
use Mistralys\Diff\Diff;

$diff = Diff::compareStrings('String 1', 'String 2');

echo Diff::createStyler()->getStyleTag();
echo $diff->toHTML();
```

### Releasing diff instances

[](#releasing-diff-instances)

When a `Diff` instance is no longer needed and you want to free its memory explicitly, call `dispose()`:

```
use Mistralys\Diff\Diff;

$diff = Diff::compareStrings('String 1', 'String 2');
$html = $diff->toHTML();

$diff->dispose();
```

> **Note:** Calling any render method after `dispose()` will throw a `DiffException`. Always render before disposing.

Running the Examples
--------------------

[](#running-the-examples)

The `example/` folder demonstrates every renderer — inline HTML, table HTML, plain text, and character-level comparisons — against both inline strings and sample text files.

### Static preview (no server required)

[](#static-preview-no-server-required)

A pre-built HTML file is included at `example/dist/index.html`. Open it directly in your browser for a quick overview.

To regenerate it after making changes:

```
composer install  # only needed once after cloning
composer build
```

The output is written to `example/dist/index.html`.

### Live example (PHP web server)

[](#live-example-php-web-server)

If you want to run the PHP version directly:

```
composer install  # only needed once after cloning
php -S localhost:8000
```

Then open `http://localhost:8000/example/` in your browser.

Credits
-------

[](#credits)

The original Diff class was developed by Kate Morley. Compared to her version, this has been reworked extensively. The core mechanism stays the same, but updated for PHP7, and split up into subclasses to make it easier to extend and maintain. The static comparison methods are still there, but they return a diff instance now.

The original project homepage can be found here:

> Kate has since removed the library from her site, but I am keeping this here as reference.

###  Health Score

59

—

FairBetter than 99% of packages

Maintenance85

Actively maintained with recent releases

Popularity43

Moderate usage in the ecosystem

Community16

Small or concentrated contributor base

Maturity76

Established project with proven stability

 Bus Factor1

Top contributor holds 100% of commits — single point of failure

How is this calculated?**Maintenance (25%)** — Last commit recency, latest release date, and issue-to-star ratio. Uses a 2-year decay window.

**Popularity (30%)** — Total and monthly downloads, GitHub stars, and forks. Logarithmic scaling prevents top-heavy scores.

**Community (15%)** — Contributors, dependents, forks, watchers, and maintainers. Measures real ecosystem engagement.

**Maturity (30%)** — Project age, version count, PHP version support, and release stability.

###  Release Activity

Cadence

Every ~499 days

Total

5

Last Release

76d ago

Major Versions

1.0.0 → 2.0.02022-06-09

PHP version history (2 changes)2.0.1PHP >=7.4

2.1.0PHP >=8.4

### Community

Maintainers

![](https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/8895528?v=4)[Mistralys](/maintainers/Mistralys)[@Mistralys](https://github.com/Mistralys)

---

Top Contributors

[![Mistralys](https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/8895528?v=4)](https://github.com/Mistralys "Mistralys (46 commits)")

###  Code Quality

TestsPHPUnit

Static AnalysisPHPStan

Type Coverage Yes

### Embed Badge

![Health badge](/badges/mistralys-text-diff/health.svg)

```
[![Health](https://phpackages.com/badges/mistralys-text-diff/health.svg)](https://phpackages.com/packages/mistralys-text-diff)
```

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