python · dougthor42 · May 9, 2025 · May 9, 2025 · May 9, 2025 · May 9, 2025
diff --git a/Doc/library/difflib.rst b/Doc/library/difflib.rst
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ diffs. For comparing directories and files, see also, the :mod:`filecmp` module.
       emu
 
 
-.. function:: unified_diff(a, b, fromfile='', tofile='', fromfiledate='', tofiledate='', n=3, lineterm='\n')
+.. function:: unified_diff(a, b, fromfile='', tofile='', fromfiledate='', tofiledate='', n=3, lineterm='\n', color=False)
 
    Compare *a* and *b* (lists of strings); return a delta (a :term:`generator`
    generating the delta lines) in unified diff format.
@@ -297,6 +297,9 @@ diffs. For comparing directories and files, see also, the :mod:`filecmp` module.
    For inputs that do not have trailing newlines, set the *lineterm* argument to
    ``""`` so that the output will be uniformly newline free.
 
+   Set ``color`` to ``True`` to inject ANSI color codes and make the output look
+   like what ``git diff --color`` shows.
+
    The unified diff format normally has a header for filenames and modification
    times.  Any or all of these may be specified using strings for *fromfile*,
    *tofile*, *fromfiledate*, and *tofiledate*.  The modification times are normally
@@ -319,6 +322,10 @@ diffs. For comparing directories and files, see also, the :mod:`filecmp` module.
 
    See :ref:`difflib-interface` for a more detailed example.
 
+   .. versionchanged:: 3.15
+      Added the *color* parameter.
+
+
 .. function:: diff_bytes(dfunc, a, b, fromfile=b'', tofile=b'', fromfiledate=b'', tofiledate=b'', n=3, lineterm=b'\n')
 
    Compare *a* and *b* (lists of bytes objects) using *dfunc*; yield a

diff --git a/Lib/difflib.py b/Lib/difflib.py
@@ -1094,7 +1094,7 @@ def _format_range_unified(start, stop):
     return '{},{}'.format(beginning, length)
 
 def unified_diff(a, b, fromfile='', tofile='', fromfiledate='',
-                 tofiledate='', n=3, lineterm='\n'):
+                 tofiledate='', n=3, lineterm='\n', color=False):
     r"""
     Compare two sequences of lines; generate the delta as a unified diff.
 
@@ -1111,6 +1111,9 @@ def unified_diff(a, b, fromfile='', tofile='', fromfiledate='',
     For inputs that do not have trailing newlines, set the lineterm
     argument to "" so that the output will be uniformly newline free.
 
+    Set `color` to True to inject ANSI color codes and make the output look
+    like what `git diff --color` shows.
+
     The unidiff format normally has a header for filenames and modification
     times.  Any or all of these may be specified using strings for
     'fromfile', 'tofile', 'fromfiledate', and 'tofiledate'.
@@ -1134,20 +1137,32 @@ def unified_diff(a, b, fromfile='', tofile='', fromfiledate='',
      four
     """
 
+    # {tag: ANSI color escape code}
+    colors = {
+        "delete": "\033[31m",  # red
+        "insert": "\033[32m",  # green
+        "header": "\033[1m",  # bold / increased intensity
+        "hunk": "\033[36m",  # cyan
+    }
+    reset = "\033[m"
+
     _check_types(a, b, fromfile, tofile, fromfiledate, tofiledate, lineterm)
     started = False
     for group in SequenceMatcher(None,a,b).get_grouped_opcodes(n):
         if not started:
             started = True
             fromdate = '\t{}'.format(fromfiledate) if fromfiledate else ''
             todate = '\t{}'.format(tofiledate) if tofiledate else ''
-            yield '--- {}{}{}'.format(fromfile, fromdate, lineterm)
-            yield '+++ {}{}{}'.format(tofile, todate, lineterm)
+            _line = '--- {}{}{}'.format(fromfile, fromdate, lineterm)
+            yield colors["header"] + _line + reset if color else _line
+            _line = '+++ {}{}{}'.format(tofile, todate, lineterm)
+            yield colors["header"] + _line + reset if color else _line
 
         first, last = group[0], group[-1]
         file1_range = _format_range_unified(first[1], last[2])
         file2_range = _format_range_unified(first[3], last[4])
-        yield '@@ -{} +{} @@{}'.format(file1_range, file2_range, lineterm)
+        _line = '@@ -{} +{} @@{}'.format(file1_range, file2_range, lineterm)
+        yield colors["hunk"] + _line + reset if color else _line
 
         for tag, i1, i2, j1, j2 in group:
             if tag == 'equal':
@@ -1156,10 +1171,12 @@ def unified_diff(a, b, fromfile='', tofile='', fromfiledate='',
                 continue
             if tag in {'replace', 'delete'}:
                 for line in a[i1:i2]:
-                    yield '-' + line
+                    _line = '-' + line
+                    yield colors["delete"] + _line + reset if color else _line
             if tag in {'replace', 'insert'}:
                 for line in b[j1:j2]:
-                    yield '+' + line
+                    _line = '+' + line
+                    yield colors["insert"] + _line + reset if color else _line
 
 
 ########################################################################

diff --git a/Lib/test/test_difflib.py b/Lib/test/test_difflib.py
@@ -355,6 +355,21 @@ def test_range_format_context(self):
         self.assertEqual(fmt(3,6), '4,6')
         self.assertEqual(fmt(0,0), '0')
 
+    def test_unified_diff_colored_output(self):
+        args = [['one', 'three'], ['two', 'three'], 'Original', 'Current',
+            '2005-01-26 23:30:50', '2010-04-02 10:20:52']
+        actual = list(difflib.unified_diff(*args, lineterm='', color=True))
+
+        expect = [
+            "\033[1m--- Original\t2005-01-26 23:30:50\033[m",
+            "\033[1m+++ Current\t2010-04-02 10:20:52\033[m",
+             "\033[36m@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@\033[m",
+             "\033[31m-one\033[m",
+             "\033[32m+two\033[m",
+             " three",
+        ]
+        self.assertEqual(expect, actual)
+
 
 class TestBytes(unittest.TestCase):
     # don't really care about the content of the output, just the fact

diff --git a/Misc/ACKS b/Misc/ACKS
@@ -1889,6 +1889,7 @@ Nicolas M. Thiéry
 James Thomas
 Reuben Thomas
 Robin Thomas
+Douglas Thor
 Brian Thorne
 Christopher Thorne
 Stephen Thorne

diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2025-05-08-20-03-20.gh-issue-133722.1-B82a.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2025-05-08-20-03-20.gh-issue-133722.1-B82a.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Added a ``color`` option to :func:`difflib.unified_diff` that injects ANSI color
-Added a ``color`` option to :func:`difflib.unified_diff` that injects ANSI color
+Added a *color* option to :func:`difflib.unified_diff` that injects ANSI color
-Added a ``color`` option to :func:`difflib.unified_diff` that injects ANSI color
+Added a *color* option to :func:`difflib.unified_diff` that injects ANSI color
+codes to mimic ``git diff`` colors.