Summary
Would it be possible to enhance the file history view in Git with a feature that displays the word (or character) count changes for each commit? Specifically, I propose adding:
- A breakdown of each commit showing:
- Words added
- Words deleted
- Words modified
- Sorting options to organize history based on:
- Total words added, deleted, or modified
- Net word change (added - deleted)
Use Case
As someone who frequently writes and edits content, I rely on Git for version control and have set up an automated backup system that saves changes approximately every 30 seconds. However, most Git tools are designed primarily for code and lack detailed insights into text changes.
I often find myself wondering:
- How much have I actually written today?
- Where are the most significant changes in my edits?
- What sections of my work have undergone the most revision?
Currently, there’s no easy way to track this. Adding word/character change tracking would provide clear insights into writing progress, helping writers and content creators analyze their workflow more effectively.
Proposed Features
1. Word/Character Change Tracking
In the file history view, display the following metrics for each commit:
- Words added
- Words deleted
- Words modified
This can be computed by comparing the text differences between versions, similar to how Git tracks code changes but optimized for text.
2. Sorting Options
Enable users to sort commit history based on:
- Total words added
- Total words deleted
- Total words modified
- Net word change (added - deleted)
This would help users quickly locate the most substantial edits.
3. Built-in Visualization (Inspired by GitLens)
A major improvement would be integrated visualizations, similar to the GitLens extension in VS Code. This could include:
- A graph of text changes over time, showing the volume of edits.
- A commit diff view optimized for text, where changes are highlighted intuitively.
- A per-file edit history, allowing users to track modifications to a specific document.
By integrating these features directly into the plugin, writers could gain a clear, visual representation of their writing history, making it easier to analyze progress and revision patterns.
4. Smarter Diff Display for Text
To improve usability, the diff viewer should avoid treating repeated sections as modified, reducing unnecessary noise and making it easier to identify real changes.
Benefits
Boosts Writing Productivity – Writers can track their progress more efficiently and focus on meaningful edits.
Improves Git Usability for Writers – Current tools are code-centric; this change makes Git more accessible for content creators.
Broader Use Cases – Beyond writers, documentation maintainers, researchers, product managers, and technical writers would all benefit.
Conclusion
If Git-related tools could integrate text-centric version tracking and visualization, it would make Git far more useful for writing and content creation. This would allow writers to better track their progress, analyze edits, and understand their workflow.
If any developers are interested in implementing such a feature, I’d love to discuss it further!
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