delta — Syntax-Highlighting Pager for Git Diff and Grep

What delta Does

• Syntax highlighting — 100+ languages via syntect
• Side-by-side view — optional two-column mode
• Line numbers — in diffs
• File headers — stylized, navigable
• Navigation — jump between files with n / N
• Themes — Sublime Text themes work
• Merge conflicts — 3-way diff highlight
• Whitespace errors — visible
• git blame — also prettified
• Works with — git, diff, rg, blame

Architecture

Rust binary that reads diff/patch format on stdin and writes colorized output to stdout. Integrates with git via core.pager = delta. Syntax highlighting uses the syntect crate (Sublime .sublime-syntax compatible).

Self-Hosting

CLI tool, git pager.

Key Features

• Syntax highlighting for 100+ languages
• Side-by-side diff view
• Line numbers
• File navigation (n/N)
• Sublime theme compatibility
• Works with git diff/show/log/blame
• Integrates with rg, grep
• Dark and light modes
• Configurable via gitconfig

Comparison

FAQ

Q: vs diff-so-fancy? A: Similar functionality. delta is faster (Rust), supports side-by-side, and has richer syntax highlighting. diff-so-fancy is older and simpler.

Q: Side-by-side is hard to read? A: Adjust max-line-length and terminal width. Overly wide lines wrap automatically; on narrow terminals, turn side-by-side off.

Q: Does it work with git log? A: Yes. git log -p automatically goes through delta's pager. git blame is also highlighted separately.

Sources

• Docs: https://dandavison.github.io/delta
• GitHub: https://github.com/dandavison/delta
• License: MIT