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 < worktree 1

/ < path

< worktree 2

/ < path

Or for unified diff format:

diff -u < worktree 1

/ < path

< worktree 2

/ < path

For directories between worktrees: diff -r < worktree 1

/ < directory

< worktree 2

/ < directory

Or for summary only:

diff -rq < worktree 1

/ < directory

< worktree 2

/ < directory

For branch-level comparison (using git diff): git diff < branch 1

.. < branch 2

-- < path

Or for stat summary:

git

diff

--stat

<

branch

1

>

..

<

branch

2

>

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 /file /file

Directory diff

Compare directories recursively

diff -r /dir /dir

Summary only

Show which files differ (no content)

diff -rq / /

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

Prompts to select which worktree to compare with

Shows diff of src/app.js between current and selected worktree

Compare between two specific worktrees:

/git:compare-worktrees .. /project-main .. /project-feature src/module.js

Compares src/module.js between the two specified worktrees

Compare multiple files/directories:

/git:compare-worktrees src/app.js src/utils/ package.json

Shows diffs for all three paths between worktrees

Compare entire directories:

/git:compare-worktrees src/

Shows all differences in src/ directory between worktrees

Get summary statistics:

/git:compare-worktrees --stat

Shows which files differ and line counts

Interactive mode:

/git:compare-worktrees

Lists available worktrees

Asks which to compare

Asks for specific paths or entire worktree

Compare with branch worktree by branch name:

/git:compare-worktrees feature-x

Finds worktree for feature-x branch and compares

Compare specific paths between branch worktrees:

/git:compare-worktrees main feature-x src/ tests/

Compares src/ and tests/ directories between main and feature-x worktrees

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

See what changed in a feature branch

/git:compare-worktrees --stat

/git:compare-worktrees src/components/ Compare Implementations

Compare how two features implemented similar functionality

/git:compare-worktrees .. /project-feature-1 .. /project-feature-2 src/auth/ Quick File Check

Check if a specific file differs

/git:compare-worktrees package.json Pre-Merge Review

Review all changes before merging (compare src and tests together)

/git:compare-worktrees --stat

/git:compare-worktrees src/ tests/

Both src/ and tests/ directories will be compared

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:

Create worktrees for comparison

/git:create-worktree feature-x, main

Created: ../project-feature-x and ../project-main

Now compare

/git:compare-worktrees src/ Troubleshooting "No other worktrees found" Create a worktree first with /git:create-worktree 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 "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