diffwatch

A CLI-based Node.js application that provides a real-time Terminal User Interface (TUI) for monitoring Git repository changes. Watch file statuses and view diffs in a split-pane interface without leaving your terminal.

Features

• Real-time Monitoring: Automatically refreshes every 5 seconds to show the latest Git status
• Split-pane TUI: Left pane displays files with color-coded status, right pane shows unified diffs
• Color-coded Status: Green for added, Red for deleted, Blue for modified, White for untracked
• Keyboard Navigation: Use arrow keys to navigate files, Tab to switch panes
• Git-only Operation: Works exclusively in Git repositories
• Cross-platform: Built with Node.js and TypeScript

Installation

Global Installation (Recommended)

npm install -g diffwatch

Local Installation

git clone <repository-url>
cd diffwatch
npm install
npm run build
npm link

Usage

Navigate to any Git repository and run:

diffwatch [path] [options]

Arguments

• path: Path to the git repository (default: current directory)

Options

• -h, --help: Show help information

The application will:

1. Check if the current directory is a Git repository
2. Display a TUI with two panes
3. Automatically refresh every 5 seconds

Controls

• Arrow Keys / Tab: Navigate through the file list and scroll in diff pane
• Enter: Open selected file in default editor
• Escape/Q/Ctrl+C: Exit the application

Prerequisites

• Node.js 16 or higher
• Git installed and accessible in PATH
• A terminal that supports TUI applications (most modern terminals)

Development

Setup

npm install
npm run build
npm run dev  # Run in development mode
npm test     # Run tests

Project Structure

src/
├── index.ts          # Main application entry point
└── utils/
    └── git.ts        # Git operations and status handling
tests/
├── git.test.ts       # Unit tests for GitHandler

Building

npm run build  # Compile TypeScript to JavaScript

Testing

npm test  # Run Jest test suite