plan to expose api about difftastic HOT 3 CLOSED

@Wilfred has there been any progress on your thinking about this ? (sorry for the necrobump)

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This is definitely I'm interested in future, but it's too early right now. The API is still changing a lot as I figure out how make a design that actually works.

from difftastic.

@luzpaz I was the person who made the reqeust over at GNOME. https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/meld/-/issues/756

I noticed this PR that adds a library interface, though that has not been looked at for well over a year. I guess this makes sense as it's not worth publishing an API for a moving target.

Perhaps there is another, simple way to add difft as a backend to meld?

There is a feature (experimental) where difftastic emits a simple json file with the --display <MODE> option.
Could that be used with a temp file, named pipe or Bekeley socket until there is a more direct interface?

Example below...

Note this was generated a file with few characters (~15) and a tiny change. I am wondering if JSON is the best way to communicate that change information? For a large file the diff data could be massive. There are binary alternatives for arbitrary data serialisation that would be more efficient. e.g. Apache Thrift? Or maybe do it live with a socket and a virtual cursor - next/prev/print/count etc that would mean far less data to transfer.

before (lhs comma rhs) -> [(lhs) comma rhs] after

 DFT_UNSTABLE=yes target/debug/difft \
  --display json \
  sample_files/change_outer_before.el \
  sample_files/change_outer_after.el

{
  "chunks": [
    [
      {
        "lhs": {
          "line_number": 0,
          "changes": [
            { "start": 0, "end": 1, "content": "(", "highlight": "delimiter" },
            { "start": 14, "end": 15, "content": ")", "highlight": "delimiter" }
          ]
        },
        "rhs": {
          "line_number": 0,
          "changes": [
            { "start": 0, "end": 1, "content": "[", "highlight": "delimiter" },
            { "start": 1, "end": 2, "content": "(", "highlight": "delimiter" },
            { "start": 5, "end": 6, "content": ")", "highlight": "delimiter" },
            { "start": 16, "end": 17, "content": "]", "highlight": "delimiter" }
          ]
        }
      }
    ]
  ],
  "language": "Emacs Lisp",
  "path": "sample_files/change_outer_after.el",
  "status": "changed"
}

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