SRCC (Source Compare)

A Visual Studio Code extension that enables quick source code comparison using simple .srcc files. Compare two files side-by-side with automatic diff view opening and syntax highlighting support.

Features

🚀 Quick File Comparison

• Simple File Format: Create .srcc files with just two file paths (one per line)
• Automatic Path Resolution: Supports both absolute and relative paths
• Intelligent File Detection: Automatically detects and validates file existence

⚙️ Smart Configuration

• Auto-Open Diff: Automatically open diff view when .srcc files are opened (configurable)
• Error Handling: Clear error messages for invalid paths or missing files

Requirements

• VS Code Version: 1.106.1 or higher
• Node.js: No additional Node.js dependencies required for end users
• File System Access: Extension needs to read file paths and open files for comparison

Installation

From VS Code Marketplace

1. Open Visual Studio Code
2. Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X)
3. Search for "SRCC"
4. Click Install

From Source (Development)

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/rainbowatcher/srcc.git
cd srcc

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Compile the extension
npm run compile

# Install the extension locally
code --install-extension srcc-<version>.vsix

Manual Installation (VSIX File)

1. Download the .vsix file from the releases page
2. In VS Code: Extensions → Install from VSIX...
3. Select the downloaded .vsix file

Usage

Creating a Comparison File

1. Create a new file with .srcc extension (e.g., comparison.srcc)
2. Write two file paths, one per line:

/path/to/left-file.js
/path/to/right-file.js

Or using relative paths:

./src/old-version.js
./src/new-version.js

3. Save the file - the diff view opens automatically (if auto-open is enabled)

Supported Path Formats

Absolute Paths

/Users/username/project/src/file1.js
/Users/username/project/src/file2.js

Relative Paths

./src/feature-a.js
./src/feature-b.js

Extension Settings

This extension contributes the following settings:

srcc.autoOpenDiff

• Type: boolean
• Default: true
• Description: Automatically open the diff view when opening .srcc files

To modify this setting:

1. Open VS Code User Settings (Ctrl+, / Cmd+,)
2. Search for "srcc"
3. Toggle the Auto Open Diff setting

Or add to your settings.json:

{
  "srcc.autoOpenDiff": false
}

Examples

Basic Comparison

hello.js
world.js

Feature Branch Comparison

./src/main-branch.js
./src/feature-branch.js

Configuration Files

config/production.json
config/development.json

File Format Specification

SRCC File Structure

• Line 1: Path to the left/base file (displayed on the left side in diff)
• Line 2: Path to the right/comparison file (displayed on the right side in diff)

Path Resolution

• Absolute paths: Used as-is
• Relative paths: Resolved relative to the .srcc file's directory
• File validation: Both files must exist before opening diff view

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

"File does not exist" error

• Ensure file paths are correct and accessible
• Check if files exist at the specified locations
• Verify read permissions for the files

Diff view not opening

• Check the srcc.autoOpenDiff setting is enabled
• Verify both files exist and are readable
• Try manually opening files first to ensure VS Code can access them

Syntax highlighting not working

• Ensure the file has .srcc extension
• Check VS Code language mode is set to "Source Compare"
• Try reloading the window (Ctrl+Shift+P → "Developer: Reload Window")

Contributing

We welcome contributions to improve the SRCC extension!

Development Setup

# Clone and setup
git clone https://github.com/your-repo/srcc-vscode-extension.git
cd srcc-vscode-extension
npm install

# Development
npm run build      # Build TypeScript
npm run watch      # Watch for changes

# Testing
# Open test files in VS Code and verify functionality

Adding Tests

Add .srcc test files to the test/ directory following the naming pattern test*.srcc.

Publishing

1. Update version in package.json
2. Build and test the extension
3. Create a new release on GitHub
4. Publish to VS Code Marketplace using vsce publish

License

MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Support

• Issues: GitHub Issues
• Discussions: GitHub Discussions

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