Implementation latex-diff

[NailGit]

Hi,
I just found this excellent project and started using it for LaTeX instead of Overleaf. There is a TimeTravel feature that shows versions. I have used latex-diff for many years to create PDFs showing the changes my colleagues have made to the LaTeX file. It is useful for seeing the changes made and for showing the editors of the journal the changes made after the referee suggestions. I use the small script below. Is it possible to implement latex-diff in CoCalc?

#!/bin/bash
# USAGE: latex-diff old.tex new.tex
# ofn = old file name, nfn = new file name, ofe = old file extesion, nfe = new file extension
ofn=$(basename -- "$1") && ofe="${ofn##*.}" && ofn="${ofn%.*}"
nfn=$(basename -- "$2") && nfe="${nfn##*.}" && nfn="${nfn%.*}"
echo "$ofn" && echo "$ofe" && echo "$nfn" && echo "$nfe"
pdflatex $1 && bibtex $ofn.aux && pdflatex $1 && pdflatex $1
pdflatex $2 && bibtex $nfn.aux && pdflatex $2 && pdflatex $2
latexdiff --allow-space $ofn.bbl $nfn.bbl > diff-$ofn-$nfn.bbl
latexdiff -t CFONT --flatten --allow-space $1 $2 > diff-$ofn-$nfn.tex
pdflatex diff-$ofn-$nfn.tex && pdflatex diff-$ofn-$nfn.tex
evince diff-$ofn-$nfn.pdf &

[williamstein]

I used to use latexdiff a lot when working on papers -- it's very cool project.

Is your request basically to use it in TimeTravel changes view? I.e., after selecting two versions and seeing the diff, you could click a button and have the latex-diff pdf automatically generated and displayed in another tab or frame? A key thing to keep in mind is some files take a long time to compile.

[NailGit]

Ok, I can wait for a while. I do not see a problem with time to wait.

[williamstein]

Excellent. I was mainly thinking about how that impacts the UI. E.g., it couldn't work exactly as now to replace the changes mode.

[NailGit]

I do not know about UI. For me, as a user, really it is much better to get button inside the TimeTravel with possibility to select versions to compare.