Delta Cheatsheet

Installation

Platform	Command
Ubuntu/Debian	`wget https://github.com/dandavison/delta/releases/download/0.16.5/git-delta_0.16.5_amd64.deb && sudo dpkg -i git-delta_0.16.5_amd64.deb`
Arch Linux	`sudo pacman -S git-delta`
Fedora/RHEL	`sudo dnf install git-delta`
Alpine Linux	`apk add git-delta`
macOS (Homebrew)	`brew install git-delta`
macOS (MacPorts)	`sudo port install git-delta`
Windows (Scoop)	`scoop install delta`
Windows (Chocolatey)	`choco install delta`
Windows (Winget)	`winget install dandavison.delta`
Any (Cargo)	`cargo install git-delta`
Verify Installation	`delta --version`

Basic Commands

Command	Description
`git config --global core.pager delta`	Set delta as default Git pager
`git diff`	View unstaged changes with delta
`git diff --cached`	View staged changes with delta
`git diff path/to/file.py`	View changes in specific file
`git diff main`	Compare current branch with main
`git diff branch1..branch2`	Compare two branches
`git show HEAD`	Show last commit with diff
`git show abc123`	Show specific commit with diff
`git log -p`	View commit history with diffs
`git diff commit1 commit2`	Compare two specific commits
`diff file1.txt file2.txt \| delta`	Pipe standard diff output to delta
`delta file1.txt file2.txt`	Compare files directly with delta
`delta --show-syntax-themes`	Display all available syntax themes
`delta --list-languages`	List all supported programming languages
`delta --show-config`	Display current delta configuration
`git blame file.py`	View git blame with delta formatting
`git grep "function" \| delta`	Enhanced grep output with delta
`git diff --stat`	Show diff statistics with delta
`git diff -w \| delta`	View diff ignoring whitespace changes
`delta changes.diff`	View a saved diff file with delta

Advanced Usage

Command	Description
`git diff \| delta --side-by-side`	Enable side-by-side diff view
`git diff \| delta --side-by-side --width 200`	Side-by-side with custom width
`git diff \| delta --line-numbers`	Enable line numbers in diff output
`git diff \| delta --syntax-theme Monokai`	Use specific syntax theme temporarily
`git diff \| delta --language python`	Force specific language syntax highlighting
`git config --global delta.side-by-side true`	Enable side-by-side mode globally
`git config --global delta.line-numbers true`	Enable line numbers globally
`git config --global delta.navigate true`	Enable navigation mode for jumping between files
`git config --global delta.hyperlinks true`	Enable clickable file path hyperlinks
`git config --global diff.colorMoved default`	Highlight moved code blocks
`git config --global pager.blame delta`	Use delta for git blame output
`git config --global pager.grep delta`	Use delta for git grep output
`git config --global interactive.diffFilter "delta --color-only"`	Use delta in interactive Git commands
`git blame -L 10,20 file.py`	View blame for specific line range with delta
`git diff --word-diff`	Show word-level differences with delta
`git config --global delta.pager "less -RFX"`	Customize pager behavior
`git config --global delta.features "line-numbers decorations"`	Enable multiple features at once
`git diff --ignore-space-at-eol \| delta`	Ignore whitespace at end of line
`git config --global delta.max-line-length 512`	Set maximum line length for display
`git config --global delta.tabs 4`	Set tab width for display

Configuration

Delta is configured through Git’s configuration system. Configuration can be set globally (~/.gitconfig) or per-repository (.git/config).

Basic Configuration

[core]
    pager = delta

[interactive]
    diffFilter = delta --color-only

[delta]
    navigate = true
    line-numbers = true
    side-by-side = true

Complete Configuration Example

[core]
    pager = delta

[interactive]
    diffFilter = delta --color-only

[delta]
    # General settings
    navigate = true
    light = false
    side-by-side = true
    line-numbers = true
    hyperlinks = true
    
    # Syntax highlighting
    syntax-theme = Monokai Extended
    
    # Layout
    width = 200
    tabs = 4
    wrap-max-lines = unlimited
    
    # Line numbers
    line-numbers-left-format = "{nm:>4}│"
    line-numbers-right-format = "{np:>4}│"
    line-numbers-minus-style = "red"
    line-numbers-plus-style = "green"
    line-numbers-zero-style = "white dim"
    
    # Colors and styles
    minus-style = syntax "#3f0001"
    minus-non-emph-style = syntax "#3f0001"
    minus-emph-style = syntax "#901011"
    minus-empty-line-marker-style = normal "#3f0001"
    
    plus-style = syntax "#002800"
    plus-non-emph-style = syntax "#002800"
    plus-emph-style = syntax "#007800"
    plus-empty-line-marker-style = normal "#002800"
    
    # Commit and file decoration
    commit-decoration-style = bold yellow box ul
    file-decoration-style = blue ul
    file-style = bold yellow ul
    hunk-header-decoration-style = blue box
    hunk-header-style = file line-number syntax
    
    # Whitespace
    whitespace-error-style = reverse red
    
    # Moved code detection
    color-moved-style = syntax

[diff]
    colorMoved = default

Custom Feature Sets

Create reusable configuration profiles:

[delta "my-dark-theme"]
    syntax-theme = Dracula
    line-numbers = true
    side-by-side = true
    navigate = true
    minus-style = syntax "#450a15"
    plus-style = syntax "#0a4514"

[delta "my-light-theme"]
    syntax-theme = GitHub
    light = true
    line-numbers = true
    side-by-side = false

[delta]
    features = my-dark-theme

Popular Syntax Themes

Monokai Extended
Nord
Dracula
gruvbox-dark
gruvbox-light
Solarized (dark)
Solarized (light)
GitHub
OneHalfDark
OneHalfLight

Common Use Cases

Use Case 1: Daily Code Review Workflow

# Configure delta for optimal code review
git config --global core.pager delta
git config --global delta.side-by-side true
git config --global delta.line-numbers true
git config --global delta.navigate true

# Review changes before committing
git diff

# Review staged changes
git diff --cached

# Review specific file changes
git diff path/to/modified/file.js

Use Case 2: Comparing Branches for Merge

# Compare feature branch with main
git diff main..feature-branch

# View side-by-side comparison with context
git diff main..feature-branch | delta --side-by-side --width 180

# Check for moved code blocks
git diff --color-moved main..feature-branch

# Review specific file differences between branches
git diff main..feature-branch -- src/app.py

Use Case 3: Investigating Code History

# View commit history with diffs
git log -p --follow path/to/file.py

# Compare specific commits
git diff abc123..def456

# Show changes in a specific commit
git show abc123

# View blame with delta formatting
git blame -L 50,100 src/main.rs

# Search for changes in history
git log -p -S "function_name" | delta

Use Case 4: Merge Conflict Resolution

# Enable side-by-side view for conflicts
git config --global delta.side-by-side true
git config --global delta.line-numbers true

# View conflicted files
git diff --name-only --diff-filter=U

# Examine conflicts in detail
git diff path/to/conflicted/file.py

# Compare with both parents during merge
git diff HEAD
git diff MERGE_HEAD

Use Case 5: Creating Readable Diff Reports

# Generate formatted diff for documentation
git diff main..feature > changes.diff
delta changes.diff > formatted-changes.txt

# Create side-by-side comparison
git diff --stat main..feature
git diff main..feature | delta --side-by-side --width 200

# Export with specific theme for presentations
git diff | delta --syntax-theme "Monokai Extended" --line-numbers

Best Practices

Set delta globally: Configure git config --global core.pager delta once to use delta for all repositories, ensuring consistent diff viewing experience.
Enable navigation mode: Use git config --global delta.navigate true to quickly jump between files in large diffs using n (next) and N (previous) keys.
Choose appropriate themes: Select syntax themes that match your terminal background (dark/light) and provide good contrast. Test with delta --show-syntax-themes to preview all options.
Use side-by-side for reviews: Enable side-by-side = true for code reviews and merge comparisons, but disable it for quick checks on narrow terminals to avoid line wrapping issues.
Configure line numbers strategically: Enable line numbers for debugging and code reviews (line-numbers = true), but consider disabling for simple diffs to reduce visual clutter.
Leverage moved code detection: Set diff.colorMoved = default to highlight code that has been moved rather than changed, making refactoring reviews much clearer.
Create custom feature sets: Define multiple delta configurations for different workflows (e.g., “review”, “quick-check”, “presentation”) and switch between them as needed using the features option.
Optimize for your workflow: Adjust width, tabs, and wrap-max-lines settings based on your typical terminal size and coding standards to prevent awkward line breaks.
Use with interactive commands: Configure interactive.diffFilter = delta --color-only to get delta’s highlighting in git add -p and other interactive Git commands.
Combine with Git aliases: Create Git aliases that include delta-specific options for common tasks, like git config --global alias.review 'diff --color-moved' for standardized review workflows.

Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
Delta not being used for diffs	Verify configuration with `git config --global core.pager` - should return `delta`. If not, run `git config --global core.pager delta`
Colors not displaying correctly	Check terminal supports 24-bit color. Set `COLORTERM=truecolor` environment variable. Try different syntax themes with `delta --show-syntax-themes`
Side-by-side view is garbled	Terminal width may be too narrow. Disable with `git config --global delta.side-by-side false` or increase terminal width. Adjust with `--width` option
Line numbers not showing	Enable explicitly: `git config --global delta.line-numbers true`. Check that feature isn’t disabled in a custom feature set
Syntax highlighting not working	Verify file extension is recognized with `delta --list-languages`. Force language with `--language` option or check `syntax-theme` setting
Delta not working in git add -p	Set interactive diff filter: `git config --global interactive.diffFilter "delta --color-only"`. The `--color-only` flag is essential for interactive mode
Pager quits immediately	Adjust pager settings: `git config --global delta.pager "less -RFX"`. The `-F` flag causes less to quit if output fits on one screen
Performance issues with large diffs	Disable side-by-side mode, reduce `max-line-length`, or use `--syntax-theme none` to disable syntax highlighting for faster rendering
Hyperlinks not clickable	Ensure terminal supports hyperlinks (iTerm2, kitty, Alacritty). Enable with `git config --global delta.hyperlinks true`
Configuration not taking effect	Check for conflicting configs: `git config —list
Unicode characters displaying incorrectly	Ensure terminal uses UTF-8 encoding. Set `LC_ALL=en_US.UTF-8` or similar locale. Check font supports Unicode characters used in decorations
Moved code not highlighted	Enable in Git: `git config --global diff.colorMoved default`. Then set delta style: `git config --global delta.color-moved-style syntax`