differ

A focused desktop Git change explorer for commit history, contributors, diffs, and repository status.

Demo Video

compressed_demo.mp4

Overview

differ is a desktop application for reading Git repositories without losing the full project context. It brings commit history, changed files, author details, branch state, working tree status, and remote sync information into one compact interface.

The application is designed for teams that need a clean way to review what changed, who changed it, and whether local work still needs to be committed or pushed.

Highlights

• Open any local Git repository folder from the desktop app.
• Browse a GitKraken-style commit timeline with graph lanes.
• Inspect commit messages, hashes, dates, authors, and author emails.
• View per-commit changed files with line-by-line diffs.
• Explore the project file tree for the selected commit.
• Filter history by contributor from the sidebar.
• Show a Top 3 contribution ranking modal.
• Load GitHub avatars from noreply email addresses.
• Resolve GitHub avatars through the GitHub commit API when an origin remote is available.
• Track uncommitted working tree changes.
• Select one or more changed files and commit them from the UI.
• Show origin connection state and unpushed commit count.
• Push pending commits when a valid upstream or origin remote exists.
• Keep the last 5 opened repositories on the home screen.
• Generate AI-powered commit messages and push directly from the UI.
• Merge branches interactively through a visual merge modal.
• Configure application settings including SMTP email notifications and commit defaults.
• Sync with remote origins and manage branch relationships.
• Enjoy a refined premium dark-mode interface with custom scrollbars and white action buttons.

Product Goals

differ focuses on practical Git review workflows:

1. Make repository history readable at a glance.
2. Keep commit, diff, author, and file tree context visible together.
3. Separate committed history from uncommitted local work.
4. Show contributor activity without turning the app into a heavy analytics dashboard.
5. Keep the interface minimal, dark, and focused on black and white contrast.

Application Flow

1. Open a Git repository from the home screen.
2. Review repository metadata, branch state, contributor list, and file tree.
3. Select a commit from the history timeline.
4. Inspect changed files and diff hunks in the detail panel.
5. Filter by contributor when you need to review a single author's work.
6. Check pending working tree changes.
7. Select files, write a commit message, and create a commit.
8. Push unpushed commits when the repository has a valid remote.
9. Use AI to generate commit messages automatically.
10. Merge branches through the interactive merge modal.
11. Configure application settings for email notifications and commit defaults.

Architecture

differ is built as a Tauri desktop application:

Layer	Technology	Responsibility
Desktop shell	Tauri 2	Native window, command bridge, app packaging
Backend	Rust	Git repository access, branch data, diffs, status, commit, push, merge
Git engine	git2 and system git	Read repository data and execute write operations
Frontend	HTML, CSS, JavaScript	Application layout, timeline, modal, filtering, interaction state, settings UI
AI integration	Commit generation	AI-powered commit message creation
Email	SMTP	Optional email notifications for repository activity
Assets	PNG and SVG	App icon, brand mark, generated platform icons

Repository Layout

.
|-- src
|   |-- assets
|   |   |-- differ-white.svg
|   |   |-- differ-white.png
|   |   `-- differ.png
|   |-- index.html
|   |-- main.js
|   `-- styles.css
|-- src-tauri
|   |-- src
|   |   |-- lib.rs
|   |   `-- main.rs
|   |-- icons
|   |-- capabilities
|   |-- Cargo.toml
|   `-- tauri.conf.json
|-- package.json
`-- README.md

Requirements

• Node.js and npm
• Rust toolchain
• Tauri system dependencies for your operating system
• Git installed and available in PATH

Linux users need the standard WebKitGTK and Tauri desktop dependencies installed for their distribution.

Windows users need Windows 10 or newer, the Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime, Git for Windows available in PATH, and the Rust MSVC toolchain when building from source.

Getting Started

Install dependencies:

npm install

Run the desktop app:

npm run dev

On Linux Wayland sessions, WebKitGTK can sometimes fail with a GDK protocol error. Use the Linux-specific script to force XWayland:

npm run dev:linux

To try native Wayland:

npm run dev:wayland

Development Commands

Run the Tauri development app:

npm run dev

Build a Windows MSI installer on Windows:

npm run build:windows

Build the Linux AppImage through the Ubuntu-based packaging script:

npm run build:linux:appimage

Validate the Rust backend:

cd src-tauri
cargo check

Format Rust code:

cd src-tauri
cargo fmt

Check the JavaScript entry file:

node --check src/main.js

Git Operations

The app reads most repository data through the Rust backend. Write operations are intentionally narrow:

• commit_changes stages and commits only the selected paths.
• push_origin pushes the active branch to its upstream when available.
• If no upstream is configured, push_origin attempts to push to origin and set upstream for the active branch.
• merge_branch merges a selected branch into the current branch through an interactive modal.

This keeps file commits explicit and avoids accidentally committing unrelated local changes.

GitHub Avatar Support

Contributor avatars are resolved in two ways:

• Directly from GitHub noreply email formats such as 123+user@users.noreply.github.com.
• Through GitHub's commit API when the repository has a GitHub origin remote.

When no avatar can be resolved, differ falls back to contributor initials.

AI Commit Generation

The app integrates AI-powered commit message generation:

• Generate meaningful commit messages based on staged changes.
• Push commits directly from the UI after generation.
• Customizable commit configuration in application settings.

Branch Merging

Interactive branch management through a visual merge modal:

• Select branches to merge from a dropdown.
• Preview merge conflicts before committing.
• Merge branches with a single click through the Rust backend.
• Track merge status and handle conflicts gracefully.

Application Settings

Configure the application through the settings panel:

• SMTP Email: Set up email notifications for repository activity.
  • Configure SMTP server, port, and authentication.
  • Enable TLS for secure email delivery.
  • Set notification recipients.
• Commit Configuration: Customize default commit behavior.
  • Set default commit message templates.
  • Configure auto-push preferences.
  • Manage co-author settings.

Remote Origin Sync

Manage remote repository connections:

• View remote origin connection status.
• Sync branches with remote repositories.
• Track unpushed commits and pending changes.
• Push changes to remote origins with proper upstream configuration.

Recent Repositories

The home screen stores the last 5 opened Git repositories in local app storage. This list is local to the desktop app and is used only for quick reopening.

Troubleshooting

GDK protocol error on Wayland

Use the Linux-specific development command first:

npm run dev:linux

It sets GDK_BACKEND=x11 and WEBKIT_DISABLE_DMABUF_RENDERER=1 for a more stable Linux development session.

Git is not found on Windows

Install Git for Windows, enable command-line PATH integration during setup, then restart differ or your terminal before running the app again.

Repository opens but push is disabled

Check that the repository has:

• An active branch
• A configured origin remote
• A valid upstream, or permission to create one with git push -u origin <branch>

GitHub avatars do not appear

Avatar loading depends on commit email metadata, a GitHub remote, and network availability. The app still works normally when avatars cannot be resolved.

Roadmap

• Side-by-side diff mode
• Commit search filters by file path
• Exportable contributor report
• Keyboard shortcuts for timeline navigation
• Packaged installers for Linux, macOS, and Windows
• Enhanced AI commit message customization
• Batch branch operations
• Repository statistics dashboard

Contributing

Contributions should keep the application focused, readable, and conservative around Git write operations.

Before opening a pull request:

1. Run node --check src/main.js.
2. Run cargo check inside src-tauri.
3. Keep UI changes consistent with the black and white visual system.
4. Avoid adding dependencies unless they remove meaningful complexity.

License

differ is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0 or later. See LICENSE for the full license text.

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