GITHUB-COMPARE-LINKS.md

GitHub Compare Links

The Basics

Ok, so the basic anatomy of a GitHub compare link is:

https://github.com/USER/REPO/compare/REF1...REF2

where USER is the GH username or organization, REPO is the repository name and REF1, REF2 are repository references (typically branches, commit, and/or tags).

Ok, so what?

Well it also supports what the Git command line supports for references too (not sure how much coverage it has, but it support a fair bit). For example,

• Compare master to other-branch: https://github.com/USER/REPO/compare/master...other-branch
• Compare master^^ to master: https://github.com/USER/REPO/compare/master%5E%5E...master
• Compare my-branch~6 to my-branch: https://github.com/USER/REPO/compare/my-branch~6...my-branch
• Compare master@{yesterday} to master: https://github.com/USER/REPO/compare/master@%7Byesterday%7D...master
• Compare master@{3.days.ago} to master: https://github.com/USER/REPO/compare/master@%7B3.days.ago%7D...master
• Compare master@{4.weeks.ago} to master: https://github.com/USER/REPO/compare/master@%7B4.weeks.ago%7D...master
• Compare last-release-tag to new-release-tag: https://github.com/USER/REPO/compare/last-release-tag...new-release-tag
• Compare last-release-tag to master@%7B5.hours.ago%7D: https://github.com/USER/REPO/compare/last-release-tag...master@{5.hours.ago}
• Compare commit 7c0a4169 to master: https://github.com/USER/REPO/compare/7c0a4169...master

You could already do this on your command line, but isn't it prettier?

Ok, I can tell you aren't very impressed so here you go:

• https://github.com/USER/REPO/compare/master@%7Byesterday%7D...master.diff
• https://github.com/USER/REPO/compare/master@%7Byesterday%7D...master.patch
• https://github.com/USER/REPO/compare/master@%7Byesterday%7D...master.diff?w=1 (ignore whitespace)
• https://github.com/USER/REPO/compare/master@%7Byesterday%7D...master.diff#L2R84 (third file, line 84)

Linking to this stuff over IM has never been this great. And your manager will love it too.

Did you buy me that beer yet?

Cheers!

github: @mbbx6spp

twitter: @SusanPotter

PS Feel free to donate whatever you would like, to a worthy cause of your liking instead of the beer (but I would welcome t-shirts of your awesome new startup any time;))