# JSON structural diff Does exactly what you think it does: ![Screenshot](https://github.com/andreyvit/json-diff/raw/master/doc/screenshot.png) ## Installation ```sh npm install -g json-diff ``` ## Contribution policy 1. This project is maintained thanks to your contributions! Please send pull requests. 2. I will merge any pull request that adds something useful, does not break existing things, has reasonable code quality and provides/updates tests where appropriate. 3. Anyone who gets a significant pull request merged gets commit access to the repository. ## Usage Simple: ```sh json-diff a.json b.json ``` Detailed: ```sh % json-diff --help Usage: json-diff [-vCjfonskKp] first.json second.json Arguments: Old file New file General options: -v, --verbose Output progress info -C, --[no-]color Colored output -j, --raw-json Display raw JSON encoding of the diff -f, --full Include the equal sections of the document, not just the deltas --max-elisions COUNT Max number of ...s to show in a row in "deltas" mode (before collapsing them) -o, --output-keys KEYS Always print this comma separated keys, with their value, if they are part of an object with any diff -x, --exclude-keys KEYS Exclude these comma separated keys from comparison on both files -n, --output-new-only Output only the updated and new key/value pairs (without marking them as such). If you need only the diffs from the old file, just exchange the first and second json. -s, --sort Sort primitive values in arrays before comparing -k, --keys-only Compare only the keys, ignore the differences in values -K, --keep-unchanged-values Instead of omitting values that are equal, output them as they are -p, --precision DECIMALS Round all floating point numbers to this number of decimal places prior to comparison -h, --help Display this usage information ``` In javascript (ES5): ```js var jsonDiff = require('json-diff'); console.log(jsonDiff.diffString({ foo: 'bar' }, { foo: 'baz' })); // Output: // { // - foo: "bar" // + foo: "baz" // } // As above, but without console colors console.log(jsonDiff.diffString({ foo: 'bar' }, { foo: 'baz' }, { color: false })); // Raw output: console.log(jsonDiff.diff({ foo: 'bar', b: 3 }, { foo: 'baz', b: 3 })); // Output: // { foo: { __old: 'bar', __new: 'baz' } } // Passing in the "full" option: console.log(jsonDiff.diff({ foo: 'bar', b: 3 }, { foo: 'baz', b: 3 }, { full: true })); // Output: // { foo: { __old: 'bar', __new: 'baz' }, b: 3 } ``` In javascript (ES6+): ```js import { diffString, diff } from 'json-diff'; console.log(diffString({ foo: 'bar' }, { foo: 'baz' })); console.log(diff({ foo: 'bar' }, { foo: 'baz' })); ``` ## Features - colorized, diff-like output - fuzzy matching of modified array elements (when array elements are object hierarchies) - "keysOnly" option to compare only the json structure (keys), ignoring the values - "full" option to output the entire json tree, not just the deltas - "outputKeys" option to always output the given keys for an object that has differences - reasonable test coverage (far from 100%, though) ## Output Language in Raw-json mode ("full" mode) ### ARRAYS Unless two arrays are equal, all array elements are transformed into 2-tuple arrays: - The first element is a one character string denoting the equality ('+', '-', '~', ' ') - The second element is the old (-), new (+), altered sub-object (~), or unchanged (' ') value ```sh json-diff.js --full --raw-json <(echo '[1,7,3]') <(echo '[1,2,3]') [ [ " ", 1 ], [ "-", 7 ], [ "+", 2 ], [ " ", 3 ] ] ``` ```sh json-diff.js --full --raw-json <(echo '[1,["a","b"],4]') <(echo '[1,["a","c"],4]') [ [ " ", 1 ], [ "~", [ [ " ", "a" ], [ "-", "b" ], [ "+", "c" ] ] ], [ " ", 4 ] ] ``` - If two arrays are equal, they are left as is. ### OBJECTS **Object property values:** - If equal, they are left as is - Unequal scalar values are replaced by an object containing the old and new value: ```sh json-diff.js --full --raw-json <(echo '{"a":4}') <(echo '{"a":5}') { "a": { "__old": 4, "__new": 5 } } ``` - Unequal arrays and objects are replaced by their diff: ```sh json-diff.js --full --raw-json <(echo '{"a":[4,5]}') <(echo '{"a":[4,6]}') { "a": [ [ " ", 4 ], [ "-", 5 ], [ "+", 6 ] ] } ``` **Object property keys:** - Object keys that are deleted or added between two objects are marked as such: ```sh json-diff.js --full --raw-json <(echo '{"a":[4,5]}') <(echo '{"b":[4,5]}') { "a__deleted": [ 4, 5 ], "b__added": [ 4, 5 ] } json-diff.js --full --raw-json <(echo '{"a":[4,5]}') <(echo '{"b":[4,6]}') { "a__deleted": [ 4, 5 ], "b__added": [ 4, 6 ] } ``` ## Non-full mode - In regular, delta-only (non-"full") mode, equal properties and values are omitted: ```sh json-diff.js --raw-json <(echo '{"a":4, "b":6}') <(echo '{"a":5,"b":6}') { "a": { "__old": 4, "__new": 5 } } ``` - Equal array elements are represented by a one-tuple containing only a space " ": ```sh json-diff.js --raw-json <(echo '[1,7,3]') <(echo '[1,2,3]') [ [ " " ], [ "-", 7 ], [ "+", 2 ], [ " " ] ] ``` ## Tests Run: ```sh npm test ``` Output:

Open to View Test Output 🔽

json-diff@0.5.3 test coffee -c test; mocha test/*.js colorizeToArray ✔ should return ' ' for a scalar value ✔ should return ' ' for 'null' value ✔ should return ' ' for 'false' value ✔ should return '-', '+' for a scalar diff ✔ should return '-', '+' for 'null' and 'false' diff ✔ should return '-: ' for an object diff with a removed key ✔ should return '+: ' for an object diff with an added key ✔ should return '+: ' for an object diff with an added key with 'null' value ✔ should return '+: ' for an object diff with an added key with 'false' value ✔ should return '+: ' for an object diff with an added key and a non-scalar value ✔ should return ' : ' for an object diff with a modified key ✔ should return '+' for an array diff ✔ should return '-' for an array diff ✔ should handle an array diff with subobject diff ✔ should collapse long sequences of identical subobjects into one '...' colorize ✔ should return a string with ANSI escapes ✔ should return a string without ANSI escapes on { color: false } diff with simple scalar values ✔ should return undefined for two identical numbers ✔ should return undefined for two identical strings ✔ should return { __old: , __new: } object for two different numbers with objects ✔ should return undefined for two empty objects ✔ should return undefined for two objects with identical contents ✔ should return undefined for two object hierarchies with identical contents ✔ should return { __deleted: } when the second object is missing a key ✔ should return { __added: } when the first object is missing a key ✔ should return { : { __old: , __new: } } for two objects with different scalar values for a key ✔ should return { : } with a recursive diff for two objects with different values for a key with arrays of scalars ✔ should return undefined for two arrays with identical contents ✔ should return [..., ['-', ], ...] for two arrays when the second array is missing a value ✔ should return [..., ['+', ], ...] for two arrays when the second one has an extra value ✔ should return [..., ['+', ]] for two arrays when the second one has an extra value at the end (edge case test) with arrays of objects ✔ should return undefined for two arrays with identical contents ✔ should return undefined for two arrays with identical, empty object contents ✔ should return undefined for two arrays with identical, empty array contents ✔ should return undefined for two arrays with identical array contents including 'null' ✔ should return undefined for two arrays with identical, repeated contents ✔ should return [..., ['-', ], ...] for two arrays when the second array is missing a value ✔ should return [..., ['+', ], ...] for two arrays when the second array has an extra value ✔ should return [['+', ], ..., ['+', ]] for two arrays containing objects of 3 or more properties when the second array has extra values (fixes issue #57) ✔ should return [..., ['+', ], ...] for two arrays when the second array has a new but nearly identical object added ✔ should return [..., ['~', ], ...] for two arrays when an item has been modified with reported bugs ✔ should handle type mismatch during scalarize ✔ should handle mixed scalars and non-scalars in scalarize diff({sort: true}) with arrays ✔ should return undefined for two arrays with the same contents in different order diff({keepUnchangedValues: true}) with nested object ✔ should return partial object with modified and unmodified elements in the edited scope diff({full: true}) with simple scalar values ✔ should return the number for two identical numbers ✔ should return the string for two identical strings ✔ should return { __old: , __new: } object for two different numbers with objects ✔ should return an empty object for two empty objects ✔ should return the object for two objects with identical contents ✔ should return the object for two object hierarchies with identical contents ✔ should return { __deleted: , } when the second object is missing a key ✔ should return { __added: , } when the first object is missing a key ✔ should return { : { __old: , __new: } } for two objects with different scalar values for a key ✔ should return { : , } with a recursive diff for two objects with different values for a key ✔ should return { : , } with a recursive diff for two objects with different values for a key with arrays of scalars ✔ should return an array showing no changes for any element for two arrays with identical contents ✔ should return [[' ', ], ['-', ], [' ', ]] for two arrays when the second array is missing a value ✔ should return [' ', ], ['+', ], [' ', ]] for two arrays when the second one has an extra value ✔ should return [' ', s], ['+', ]] for two arrays when the second one has an extra value at the end (edge case test) with arrays of objects ✔ should return an array of unchanged elements for two arrays with identical contents ✔ should return an array with an unchanged element for two arrays with identical, empty object contents ✔ should return an array with an unchanged element for two arrays with identical, empty array contents ✔ should return an array of unchanged elements for two arrays with identical array contents including 'null' ✔ should return an array of unchanged elements for two arrays with identical, repeated contents ✔ should return [[' ', ], ['-', ], [' ', ]] for two arrays when the second array is missing a value ✔ should return [[' ', ], ['+', ], [' ', ]] for two arrays when the second array has an extra value ✔ should return [[' ', ], ['+', ], [' ', ]] for two arrays when the second array has a new but nearly identical object added ✔ should return [[' ', ], ['~', ], [' ', ]] for two arrays when an item has been modified diff({ outputKeys: foo,bar } ✔ should return keys foo and bar although they have no changes ✔ should return keys foo (with addition) and bar (with no changes) ✔ should return keys foo and bar (with addition) ✔ should return nothing as the entire object is equal, no matter that show keys has some of them ✔ should return the keys of an entire object although it has no changes diff({keysOnly: true}) with simple scalar values ✔ should return undefined for two identical numbers ✔ should return undefined for two identical strings ✔ should return undefined object for two different numbers with objects ✔ should return undefined for two empty objects ✔ should return undefined for two objects with identical contents ✔ should return undefined for two object hierarchies with identical contents ✔ should return { __deleted: } when the second object is missing a key ✔ should return { __added: } when the first object is missing a key ✔ should return undefined for two objects with different scalar values for a key ✔ should return undefined with a recursive diff for two objects with different values for a key ✔ should return { : } with a recursive diff when second object is missing a key and two objects with different values for a key with arrays of scalars ✔ should return undefined for two arrays with identical contents ✔ should return undefined for two arrays with when an item has been modified ✔ should return [..., ['-', ], ...] for two arrays when the second array is missing a value ✔ should return [..., ['+', ], ...] for two arrays when the second one has an extra value ✔ should return [..., ['+', ]] for two arrays when the second one has an extra value at the end (edge case test) with arrays of objects ✔ should return undefined for two arrays with identical contents ✔ should return undefined for two arrays with identical, empty object contents ✔ should return undefined for two arrays with identical, empty array contents ✔ should return undefined for two arrays with identical, repeated contents ✔ should return [..., ['-', ], ...] for two arrays when the second array is missing a value ✔ should return [..., ['+', ], ...] for two arrays when the second array has an extra value ✔ should return [..., ['~', ], ...] for two arrays when an item has been modified diffString ✔ should produce the expected result for the example JSON files ✔ should produce the expected result for the example JSON files with precision set to 1 ✔ should produce the expected colored result for the example JSON files ✔ return an empty string when no diff found diff({ outputNewOnly: true } ✔ should return only new diffs (added) ✔ should return only new diffs (changed) ✔ should return only new diffs (deleted) ✔ should return only old diffs - exchanged first and second json (added) ✔ should return only old diffs - exchanged first and second json (changed) ✔ should return only old diffs - exchanged first and second json (deleted) 107 passing (74ms)

## Change Log - 1.0.3 Change from cli-color to colors to reduce package size. - 1.0.2 Add colorize and colorizeToCallback to module exports (Fix bug #103) - 1.0.1 Bug fixes: Properly compare date objects; properly exclude keys with -x; improve README readability. - 1.0.0 Properly distinguish list elements with identical strings of different types e.g. `["true"]` vs `[true]`, `["0"]` vs `[0]` (enabled by switching to a new difflib) - 0.10.0 Add --exclude-keys - 0.9.1 Fix bug #88 - 0.9.0 Add --output-new-only option - 0.8.0 Add --keep-unchanged-values option - 0.7.4 Fix bug #76 - 0.7.3 Revert use of ?? operator in 0.7.2 (which caused a breaking change) - 0.7.2 Add --maxElisions and --precision options. - 0.7.1 Add --output-keys option. - 0.7.0 Add --sort option. - 0.6.3 Fix ticket #68. - 0.6.2 Provide examples of setting mode from code. - 0.6.1 Return exit code 0. Update cli-color to the latest version. - 0.6.0 Convert project code to ES6. - 0.5.5 Fix bug in scalarize fuzzy compare logic. - 0.4.0 Add --keys-only feature. ## License © Andrey Tarantsov. Distributed under the MIT license.

	Stars	Issues	Version	Updated	Created
deep-diff	2,857	44	1.0.2	5 years ago	10 years ago
jsdiff	7	0	1.1.1	8 years ago	9 years ago
json-diff	951	23	1.0.3	a month ago	11 years ago
jsondiffpatch	4,321	106	0.4.1	3 years ago	11 years ago

deep-diff vs jsdiff vs json-diff vs jsondiffpatch

Downloads in past1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year2 Years5 YearsAll time

Stats

Popular Searches

Sick of boring JavaScript newsletters?

Downloads in past