\begin{classdesc*}{HtmlDiff}

This class can be used to create an HTML table (or a complete HTML file

containing the table) showing a side by side, line by line comparision

of text with inter-line and intra-line change highlights. The table can

be generated in either full or contextual difference mode.

The constructor for this class is:

\begin{funcdesc}{__init__}{

\optional{, tabsize

\optional{, wrapcolumn

\optional{, linejunk

\optional{, charjunk}}}}}

Initializes instance of \class{HtmlDiff}.

\var{tabsize} is an optional keyword argument to specify tab stop spacing

and defaults to \code{8}.

\var{wrapcolumn} is an optional keyword to specify column number where

lines are broken and wrapped, defaults to \code{None} where lines are not

wrapped.

\var{linejunk} and \var{charjunk} are optional keyword arguments passed

into \code{ndiff()} (used to by \class{HtmlDiff} to generate the

side by side HTML differences). See \code{ndiff()} documentation for

argument default values and descriptions.

\end{funcdesc}

The following methods are public:

\begin{funcdesc}{make_file}{fromlines, tolines

\optional{, fromdesc

\optional{, todesc

\optional{, context

\optional{, numlines}}}}}

Compares \var{fromlines} and \var{tolines} (lists of strings) and returns

a string which is a complete HTML file containing a table showing line by

line differences with inter-line and intra-line changes highlighted.

\var{fromdesc} and \var{todesc} are optional keyword arguments to specify

from/to file column header strings (both default to an empty string).

\var{context} and \var{numlines} are both optional keyword arguments.

Set \var{context} to \code{True} when contextual differences are to be

shown, else the default is \code{False} to show the full files.

\var{numlines} defaults to \code{5}. When \var{context} is \code{True}

\var{numlines} controls the number of context lines which surround the

difference highlights. When \var{context} is \code{False} \var{numlines}

controls the number of lines which are shown before a difference

highlight when using the "next" hyperlinks (setting to zero would cause

the "next" hyperlinks to place the next difference highlight at the top of

the browser without any leading context).

\end{funcdesc}

\begin{funcdesc}{make_table}{fromlines, tolines

\optional{, fromdesc

\optional{, todesc

\optional{, context}}}}

Compares \var{fromlines} and \var{tolines} (lists of strings) and returns

a string which is a complete HTML table showing line by line differences

with inter-line and intra-line changes highlighted.

The arguments of this method are a subset of those for the

\code{make_file} method. Refer to the \code{make_file} method

documentation.

\end{funcdesc}

\file{Tools/scripts/ndiff.py} is a command-line front-end to this class

and contains a good example of its use.

\end{classdesc*}