[SOLVED] The diff tool in Visual Studio when using the Git Plugin

The diff tool in Visual Studio when using the Git Plugin

Microsoft has released a Git plugin for Visual Studio 2012. I have found it to be excellent, but there doesn't seem to be any option to change the default Diff tool. Worse, I cannot do a diff at all on ascx codebehind files. It only shows a diff option for the main .ASCX file.

How do you

Diff the codebehind files when using the git plugin?
Change the diff tool?

Solution

You have to change your local .gitconfig, rather than make the change through Visual Studio as you would with TFS

https://gist.github.com/mkchandler/2377564

Add the following to your global .gitconfig file:

[diff]
    tool = diffmerge
[difftool "diffmerge"]
    cmd = \"C:\\Program Files\\SourceGear\\Common\\DiffMerge\\sgdm.exe\" \"$LOCAL\" \"$REMOTE\"
[merge]
    tool = diffmerge
[mergetool "diffmerge"]
    cmd = \"C:\\Program Files\\SourceGear\\Common\\DiffMerge\\sgdm.exe\" -merge -result=\"$PWD/$MERGED\" \"$PWD/$LOCAL\" \"$PWD/$BASE\" \"$PWD/$REMOTE\"
    trustExitCode = true
[mergetool]
    keepBackup = false