FUNCTIONS

ansi_colored_diff $string, $changed_string, $options_hash;

This method compares $string with $changed_string and returns a string for an output on an ANSI terminal. Removed characters from $string are shown by default with a red background, while added characters to $changed_string are shown by default with a green background (the unchanged characters are shown with the default values for the terminal).

The $options_hash allows you to set the colors for the output and the context to be shown. The variable is a reference to a hash with the optional keys: 'u' for the color of the unchanged parts, '-', '+' for the color of the removed and the added parts, 'context' for a regexp specifying the context that shall be shown before and after a changed part and 'gap' for the string that shall be shown between the contexts of two changings. The default values for the options are:

    my $default_options = {
        'u'       => 'reset',
        '-'       => 'on_red',
        '+'       => 'on_green',
    'context' => qr/.*/,
    'gap'     => '',
    };
    

The specified colors must follow the conventions for the "colored" method of Term::ANSIColor. Please read its documentation for details.

The specified context must be a valid regexp, constructed with the "qr/.../" operator (or alternatively a string defining a valid regexp). Internal the context around a changing is created with matching the preceding substring with "/($context_re)$" and the succeeding substring with "^($context_re)". That is important to know if you want to work with backreferences. As an additional group encloses your regexp pattern, the first of your own defined subgroup is in $2 instead of $1. (That's not very nice, but still better than paying the price of using $&).

The "gap" parameter describes how to fill the gap between two shown changings in their context. Here are some examples of these parameters:

    print ansi_colored_diff($s1, $s2, {context => qr/.*/, gap => ''}); # default
    # will print the complete combined string with the marked removings and
    # additions

    print ansi_colored_diff($s1, $s2, {context => qr/.{0,3}/, gap => ' ... '});
    # will print all changings with a context of the left and right 3 chars
    # and will join each of them with a space, 3 dots and a space
    # Note that it is important to use qr/.{0,3}/ instead of qr/.../ to also
    # show only a context of 0,1 or 2 chars at the beginning or end of the
    # strings

    print ansi_colored_diff($s1, $s2, {context => qr/\w*/, gap => ' '})
    # will print all changed words and seperates them with a blank
    

EXPORT