Claude Command: Compare Worktrees
Your job is to compare files and directories between git worktrees, helping users understand differences in code across branches or worktrees.
Instructions
CRITICAL: Perform the following steps exactly as described:
-
Current state check: Run git worktree list to show all existing worktrees and their locations
-
Parse user input: Classify each provided argument:
- No arguments: Interactive mode - ask user what to compare
--stat: Show summary statistics of differences (files changed, insertions, deletions)- Worktree path: A path that matches one of the worktree roots from
git worktree list
- Branch name: A name that matches a branch in one of the worktrees
- File/directory path: A path within the current worktree to compare
-
Determine comparison targets (worktrees to compare):
a. If user provided worktree paths: Use those as comparison targets
b. If user specified branch names: Find the worktrees for those branches from git worktree list
c. If only one worktree exists besides current: Use current and that one as comparison targets
d. If multiple worktrees exist and none specified: Present list and ask user which to compare
e. If no other worktrees exist: Offer to compare with a branch using git diff
-
Determine what to compare (files/directories within worktrees):
a. If user specified file(s) or directory(ies) paths: Compare ALL of them
b. If no specific paths given: Ask user:
- "Compare entire worktree?" or
- "Compare specific files/directories? (enter paths)"
-
Execute comparison:
For specific files between worktrees:
diff <worktree1>/<path> <worktree2>/<path>
diff -u <worktree1>/<path> <worktree2>/<path>
For directories between worktrees:
diff -r <worktree1>/<directory> <worktree2>/<directory>
diff -rq <worktree1>/<directory> <worktree2>/<directory>
For branch-level comparison (using git diff):
git diff <branch1>..<branch2> -- <path>
git diff --stat <branch1>..<branch2>
For comparing with current working directory:
diff <current-file> <other-worktree>/<file>
-
Format and present results:
- Show clear header indicating what's being compared
- For large diffs, offer to show summary first
- Highlight significant changes (new files, deleted files, renamed files)
- Provide context about the branches each worktree contains
Comparison Modes
| Mode |
Description |
Command Pattern |
| File diff |
Compare single file between worktrees |
diff -u <wt1>/file <wt2>/file |
| Directory diff |
Compare directories recursively |
diff -r <wt1>/dir <wt2>/dir |
| Summary only |
Show which files differ (no content) |
diff -rq <wt1>/ <wt2>/ |
| Git diff |
Use git's diff (branch-based) |
git diff branch1..branch2 -- path |
| Stat view |
Show change statistics |
git diff --stat branch1..branch2 |
Worktree Detection
The command finds worktrees using git worktree list:
/home/user/project abc1234 [main]
/home/user/project-feature def5678 [feature-x]
/home/user/project-hotfix ghi9012 [hotfix-123]
From this output, the command extracts:
- Path: The absolute path to the worktree directory
- Branch: The branch name in brackets (used when user specifies branch name)
Examples
Compare specific file between worktrees:
> /git:compare-worktrees src/app.js
Compare between two specific worktrees:
> /git:compare-worktrees ../project-main ../project-feature src/module.js
Compare multiple files/directories:
> /git:compare-worktrees src/app.js src/utils/ package.json
Compare entire directories:
> /git:compare-worktrees src/
Get summary statistics:
> /git:compare-worktrees --stat
Interactive mode:
> /git:compare-worktrees
Compare with branch worktree by branch name:
> /git:compare-worktrees feature-x
Compare specific paths between branch worktrees:
> /git:compare-worktrees main feature-x src/ tests/
Output Format
File Comparison Header:
Comparing: src/app.js
From: /home/user/project (main)
To: /home/user/project-feature (feature-x)
---
[diff output]
Summary Output:
Worktree Comparison Summary
===========================
From: /home/user/project (main)
To: /home/user/project-feature (feature-x)
Files only in main:
- src/deprecated.js
Files only in feature-x:
+ src/new-feature.js
+ src/new-feature.test.js
Files that differ:
~ src/app.js
~ src/utils/helpers.js
~ package.json
Statistics:
3 files changed
2 files added
1 file removed
Common Workflows
Review Feature Changes
> /git:compare-worktrees --stat
> /git:compare-worktrees src/components/
Compare Implementations
> /git:compare-worktrees ../project-feature-1 ../project-feature-2 src/auth/
Quick File Check
> /git:compare-worktrees package.json
Pre-Merge Review
> /git:compare-worktrees --stat
> /git:compare-worktrees src/ tests/
Important Notes
-
Argument detection: The command auto-detects argument types by comparing them against git worktree list output:
- Paths matching worktree roots → treated as worktrees to compare
- Names matching branches in worktrees → treated as worktrees to compare
- Other paths → treated as files/directories to compare within worktrees
-
Multiple paths: When multiple file/directory paths are provided, ALL of them are compared between the selected worktrees (not just the first one).
-
Worktree paths: When specifying worktrees, use the full path or relative path from current directory (e.g., ../project-feature)
-
Branch vs Worktree: If you specify a branch name, the command looks for a worktree with that branch checked out. If no worktree exists for that branch, it suggests using git diff instead.
-
Large diffs: For large directories, the command will offer to show a summary first before displaying full diff output.
-
Binary files: Binary files are detected and reported as "Binary files differ" without showing actual diff.
-
File permissions: The diff will also show changes in file permissions if they differ.
-
No worktrees: If no other worktrees exist, the command will explain how to create one and offer to use git diff for branch comparison instead.
Integration with Create Worktree
Use /git:create-worktree first to set up worktrees for comparison:
> /git:create-worktree feature-x, main
> /git:compare-worktrees src/
Troubleshooting
"No other worktrees found"
- Create a worktree first with
/git:create-worktree <branch>
- Or use
git diff for branch-only comparison without worktrees
"Worktree for branch not found"
- The branch may not have a worktree created
- Run
git worktree list to see available worktrees
- Create the worktree with
/git:create-worktree <branch>
"Path does not exist in worktree"
- The specified file/directory may not exist in one of the worktrees
- This could indicate the file was added/deleted in one branch
- The command will report this in the comparison output
