diff

[me@tobin.cc (Tobin C. Harding)]

On occasions diff output does not render the same as it does when
editing a file. For example, while removing checkpatch tab warning
the following diff was generated

-#define KS_WLAN_SET_WPS_ENABLE                 SIOCIWFIRSTPRIV + 4
-#define KS_WLAN_GET_WPS_ENABLE                 SIOCIWFIRSTPRIV + 5
+#define KS_WLAN_SET_WPS_ENABLE         SIOCIWFIRSTPRIV + 4
+#define KS_WLAN_GET_WPS_ENABLE         SIOCIWFIRSTPRIV + 5

However when editing the file the alignment was not changed, just tabs
were inserted instead of spaces.

I had the same thing happen a few days ago (reproduced here from
memory)

-static void foo(struct bar *barp, struct baz *bazp)
+static void foo(struct bar *barp,
+               struct baz *bazp)
{
        ...

When editing the file the two s's in struct were aligned but not in
the diff output. I reapplied this patch to a clean tree and it applied
correctly.

How do maintainers visually parse this if the output is not identical in the
diff and the file once applied?

thanks,
Tobin.