Template:Diff

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This template is used on approximately 31,000 pages and changes may be widely noticed. Test changes in the template's /sandbox or /testcases subpages, or in your own user subpage. Consider discussing changes on the talk page before implementing them.

Any breaking changes to this template, including moving it or nominating it for deletion, must be communicated in advance to Twinkle's users and maintainers at Wikipedia talk:Twinkle. The standard installation of Twinkle relies on this template. Thank you.

This template is intended to be useful for creating links to "diffs"; that is, links to pages that show the differences between two versions of a wiki page.

Every version of a page has a revision ID, which you can find from the history of the page by looking at the timestamp link for the edit. The timestamp link is in this form:
http[s]://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=SomePageName&oldid=442212827
The number after oldid= is the revision ID.

Given one or two revision IDs, you can construct links to several types of diffs.

Usage

title – The title of the page (optional in most cases)
diff – The ID or keyword that is used against the base ID. Possible keywords are:
cur – Compare with the current version of a page.

prev – Compare with the previous version of a page.

next – Compare with the next version of a page.

id – This should be larger than oldid.
oldid – The base ID onto which the diff is generated.
label – Text to display as link (optional)‍—‌no label will generate a numbered link as the label.
|diffonly=yes – Displays the page comparisons only (optional)‍—‌parameter name required if used.

Only the diff parameter is required; all other parameters are optional. Omitted parameters must be empty (by using a double pipe). You can also use the named parameters title, diff, oldid, and label.

Helper subtemplate

In order to make this template simpler to use the helper subtemplate {{Diff/translator}} is available, to be used only in the preview window.

Syntax: {{Diff/translator|label|url=diff URL}}

For instance, imagine you want to refer to the following diff URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Main_Page&diff=139993&oldid=139992&diffonly=1; you only need to transcribe that URL in the {{Diff/translator}} subtemplate and produce a preview, without saving the page:

{{Diff/translator|Sic exorsi sumus|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Main_Page&diff=139993&oldid=139992&diffonly=1}}

↳ {{Diff|Main Page|139993|139992|Sic exorsi sumus|diffonly=yes}}

Now copy the code generated ({{Diff|Main Page|139993|139992|Sic exorsi sumus|diffonly=yes}}) into the edit window where {{Diff/translator}} was and publish the page.

Examples

Below each example in the left-hand column is the pseudocode for that example in brown italics and indented. Elements that should be entered literally are in brown bold underlined italics. When a parameter is left blank, the resulting two adjacent pipes are underlined (but not bolded): ||.

Code	Output
`{{Diff\|Main Page\|prev\|204901573\|Diff between a numbered version and the previous version}}` `{{Diff\|page\|prev\|oldid\|label}}`	Diff between a numbered version and the previous version This is the form that would be used most often. The diff= parameter (parameter number 2) should be the word prev. The oldid= parameter (parameter number 3) should be the known revision number.
`{{Diff\|Foobar\|616706711\|616706707\|Diff between two numbered versions of a page}}` `{{Diff\|page title\|diff\|oldid\|label}}`	Diff between two numbered versions of a page The title= parameter (parameter number 1) should be a name of a page, for instance Foobar. The diff= parameter (parameter number 2) should be the larger revision number. The oldid= parameter (parameter number 3) should be the smaller revision number.
`{{Diff\|\|616706711\|616706707\|Diff between two numbered versions of a page without title parameter}}` `{{Diff\|\|diff\|oldid\|label}}`	Diff between two numbered versions of a page without title parameter The title= parameter (parameter number 1) may be left blank, thereby leaving a double pipe. The diff= parameter (parameter number 2) should be the larger revision number. The oldid= parameter (parameter number 3) should be the smaller revision number.
`{{Diff\|Wikipedia:Pagediff\|204934693\|204901573\|Diff between two numbered versions of a page in Wikipedia namespace}}` `{{Diff\|page\|diff\|oldid\|label}}`	Diff between two numbered versions of a page in Wikipedia namespace The title= parameter (parameter number 1) should be a name of a page, for instance Wikipedia:Pagediff. The diff= parameter (parameter number 2) should be the page revision to appear on the right (proposed change). The oldid= parameter (parameter number 3) should be the page revision to appear on the left (original).
`{{Diff\|Main Page\|next\|204901573\|Diff between a numbered version and the subsequent version}}` `{{Diff\|page\|next\|oldid\|label}}`	Diff between a numbered version and the subsequent version The diff= parameter (parameter number 2) should be the word next. The oldid= parameter (parameter number 3) should be the known revision number.
`{{Diff\|Main Page\|cur\|204901573\|Diff between a numbered version and the current version of a page}}` `{{Diff\|page\|cur\|oldid\|label}}`	Diff between a numbered version and the current version of a page The diff= parameter (parameter number 2) should be the word cur. The oldid= parameter (parameter number 3) should be the known revision number.
`{{Diff\|Main Page\|cur\|\|Diff showing the most recent change to a page}}` `{{Diff\|page\|cur\|\|label}}`	Diff showing the most recent change to a page The diff= parameter (parameter number 2) should be the word cur. The oldid= parameter (parameter number 3) should be empty.
`{{Diff\|Main Page\|\|204901573\|A link to a numbered version of a page}}` `{{Diff\|page\|\|oldid\|label}}`	A link to a numbered version of a page The diff= parameter (parameter number 2) should be empty. The oldid= parameter (parameter number 3) should be the known revision number. The result is not actually a diff, so this might be considered misuse of the template. See the {{oldid}} template.
`{{Diff\|Main Page\|204901573\|202506579\|Comparison display without page display of two numbered versions of a page \|diffonly=yes}}` `{{Diff\|page\|diff\|oldid\|label\|diffonly=yes}}`	Comparison display without page display of two numbered versions of a page The title= parameter (parameter number 1) should be a name of a page, for instance Main Page. The diff= parameter (parameter number 2) should be the larger revision number. The oldid= parameter (parameter number 3) should be the smaller revision number. The diffonly= parameter, which must include the parameter name, can only be set to `yes`

TemplateData

This is the TemplateData for this template used by TemplateWizard, VisualEditor and other tools. See a monthly parameter usage report for Template:Diff in articles based on its TemplateData.

TemplateData for Diff

A template that is intended to be useful for creating links to diffs; that is, links to pages that show the differences between two versions of a wiki page.

Template parameters[Edit template data]
Parameter		Description	Type	Status
title	`title` `page` `1`	The title of the page.	Page name	optional
Diff	`diff` `2`	The ID or keyword that is used against the base ID. Possible keywords are: cur – compare with the current version of a page. prev – compare with the previous version of a page. next – compare with the next version of a page. <var>id</var> – compare against this revision ID; should be <em>larger</em> than <code>oldid</code>.	Line	required
Oldid	`oldid` `3`	The base ID onto which the diff is generated. Some number like "442212827" (without the quotes).	Number	optional
Label	`label` `4`	Text to display as link. No label will give a numbered link.	Line	optional
Diffonly	`diffonly`	Displays the page comparisons only. If you use this, the value should be "yes" (without the quotes).	Line	optional

Usage

Helper subtemplate

Examples

TemplateData

See also