dyff

YAML/JSON diff tool for configuration files

TLDR

Compare two YAML/JSON files

$ dyff between [file1.yaml] [file2.yaml]

Compare Kubernetes manifests

$ dyff between -k [manifest1.yaml] [manifest2.yaml]

Show differences with specific output format

$ dyff between -o json [file1] [file2]

Compare directories recursively

$ dyff between -r [dir1] [dir2]

SYNOPSIS

dyff [command] [options] [files]

dyff is a diff tool specifically designed for YAML and JSON configuration files. Unlike traditional line-based diff tools, it understands the structure of YAML/JSON documents and shows meaningful differences at the semantic level.The tool is particularly useful for comparing Kubernetes manifests, configuration files, and structured data where the order of keys doesn't matter but their values do. It can ignore certain types of changes (like metadata timestamps) and provides various output formats.

PARAMETERS

between FILE1 FILE2

Compare two files

-k, --kubernetes

Compare Kubernetes manifests (ignore metadata timestamps)

-r, --recursive

Compare directories recursively

-o, --output FORMAT

Output format: human, json, yaml, tap (default: human)

--chroot PATH

Chroot both inputs to a specific path

--ignore-order-changes

Ignore changes in list order

--ignore-value-changes PATH

Ignore value changes at specific path

--no-table-style

Disable table output styling

-v, --version

Display version and exit

-h, --help

Display help and exit

COMMANDS

between FILE1 FILE2

Compare two files and show differences

json FILE

Parse and validate JSON file

yaml FILE

Parse and validate YAML file

version

Display version information

INSTALL

sudo zypper install dyff

brew install dyff

nix profile install nixpkgs#dyff

CAVEATS

Complex nested structures may produce verbose output. Large files can be slow to compare. Order-sensitive comparisons may miss reorderings unless specifically enabled. Some special YAML features may not be fully supported.

HISTORY

dyff was created by the Homeport team to address the need for semantic diffing of Kubernetes and configuration files. It provides more meaningful output than traditional diff tools when working with structured configuration data.