gh-pr-diff

GitHub PR Diff

When to use

• The user asks to see what changed in a PR.
• Reviewing code changes before merge.
• Getting a list of files changed in a PR.

Inputs to confirm

• PR number, URL, or branch name (or current branch PR).
• Output format (full diff, name-only, patch).
• Target repo if not current (--repo OWNER/REPO).

Workflow

1. Verify auth:

   gh --version
   gh auth status
   

2. View the diff:

   # Full diff
   gh pr diff 123
   
   # List changed files only
   gh pr diff 123 --name-only
   
   # Patch format
   gh pr diff 123 --patch
   

3. Control color output:

   gh pr diff 123 --color always
   gh pr diff 123 --color never | less
   

4. Open in browser for visual diff:

   gh pr diff 123 --web
   

Examples

# View diff of current branch's PR
gh pr diff

# See only file names changed
gh pr diff 123 --name-only

# Get patch format for applying elsewhere
gh pr diff 123 --patch > changes.patch

# Pipe to less for large diffs
gh pr diff 123 --color always | less -R

Flags reference

Flag	Description
--color	Color output: always, never, auto (default: auto)
--name-only	Show only names of changed files
--patch	Display diff in patch format
-w, --web	Open diff in browser

Notes

• Without arguments, shows diff for current branch's PR.
• Use --name-only for quick overview of scope.
• Patch format is useful for cherry-picking or backup.

References

• GitHub CLI manual: https://cli.github.com/manual/
• gh pr diff --help