# Latex Diff

> Compare two LaTeX files, project directories, or Git revisions and produce human-readable plus machine-readable severity-graded semantic changes. Use when determining what changed between manuscript versions or preparing a revision audit bundle. Not for proofreading one version; use $proofread.

- Skill: `flonat/latex-diff` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add flonat/latex-diff`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/flonat/latex-diff/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Security
- Author: flonat (https://skillmd.com/u/flonat)
- Updated: 2026-09-10
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/flonat/latex-diff

---


# LaTeX Diff

> Compare two versions of a LaTeX document and report what actually changed —
> text, equations, citations, labels/refs, section titles, macros, environments,
> file add/remove, and moves — each graded by severity. Wraps the `latexdiff-agent`
> CLI (`packages/latex-diff`). Member of the `latex-*` source/build family.

## When to Use

- "What changed between these two versions of the paper?"
- Building an R&R "summary of changes" or a preprint vN→vN+1 changelog
- Focusing a re-review on the changes that matter (semantic-impact only)
- Sanity-checking a co-author's edits before merging

## When NOT to Use

- **Compiling** a document → `latex`
- **Prose quality / proofreading** → `proofread`
- A raw line diff is enough → `git diff` (this skill is LaTeX-aware: it knows a
  changed `\cite` key from a reflowed paragraph)

## What it produces

Two views from the same canonical diff:

1. **Human summary** — grouped by file and section, every line carrying a change
   `id`, a severity badge, and a `file:line` location.
2. **Machine-readable JSON** — severity-graded `ChangeRecord`s. `semantic_impact:
   true` flags the changes a reviewer should actually read.

For a persistent run inside a research project, these are the mandatory core
files. Use one timestamp-only basename for the whole run:

```text
reviews/<scope>/<check>/<YYYY-MM-DD-HHMM>.md
reviews/<scope>/<check>/<YYYY-MM-DD-HHMM>.changes.json
```

Here and below, `<check>` is this skill's frontmatter `name`.

Co-locate applicable typed companions with the same basename:

- `.full.json` — unfiltered machine-readable inventory
- `.changes.md` — full or raw human-readable inventory when the primary report
  is a shorter curated summary
- `.diff.tex` and `.diff.pdf` — rendered manuscript comparison
- `.source.patch` — exact source patch for source-only changes such as citation
  rekeys

The core pair is stable; companions vary with the comparison. Do not replace
the core pair with a PDF, patch, or run-specific directory.

Severity ladder: `trivial < low < medium < high < critical`. Change types:
`formatting_only, text, equation, citation, label_ref, environment,
section_title, macro_definition, file_add, file_remove, move, other`.

Full flag reference: [`packages/latex-diff/README.md`](../../packages/latex-diff/README.md).

## Critical rules

1. **Read-only.** This skill never edits the paper. It reports; the human (or a
   downstream skill) decides what to do.
2. **`paper/` is LaTeX-only** — when extracting git revisions to temp dirs, write
   temp copies under `/tmp`, never inside an Overleaf-synced `paper/`.
3. Clean up any `git worktree` / temp dirs you create.
4. **Route generated artifacts by provenance.** In a research project, persist
   them under `reviews/<scope>/<check>/`, where `<scope>` is the target paper
   slug or `_project` and `<check>` is this skill's frontmatter `name`. Never place generated diff output under
   `correspondence/`; genuine reviewer/editor/co-author material may be an input,
   but it remains external correspondence.
5. **Use a flat, same-stem bundle.** Put files directly in the producer
   directory with a `YYYY-MM-DD-HHMM` basename. Do not create a timestamped run
   subdirectory and do not use `README.md`, `summary.md`, or bespoke basenames.

## Protocol

### 1. Resolve the two inputs

| Input form | How to run |
|------------|-----------|
| **Two files** | `latexdiff-agent OLD.tex NEW.tex …` |
| **Two project dirs** (multi-file, `\input`/`\include`-aware) | `latexdiff-agent OLD_DIR/ NEW_DIR/ …` |
| **Two git revisions of one file** | extract each, then diff (below) |
| **Two git revisions of a whole project** | `git worktree` each, then diff dirs (below) |

Single file across revisions:

```bash
git show <REV_OLD>:<path/to/main.tex> > /tmp/ld-old.tex
git show <REV_NEW>:<path/to/main.tex> > /tmp/ld-new.tex   # omit for working tree
latexdiff-agent /tmp/ld-old.tex /tmp/ld-new.tex --summary -
```

Whole project across revisions (multi-file):

```bash
git worktree add /tmp/ld-old <REV_OLD>
git worktree add /tmp/ld-new <REV_NEW>
latexdiff-agent /tmp/ld-old/<paper-dir> /tmp/ld-new/<paper-dir> --summary - --compact --semantic-only
git worktree remove /tmp/ld-old && git worktree remove /tmp/ld-new
```

> Resolve revisions with `git log --oneline -- <path>` when the user names a
> round ("since submission", "v1") rather than a SHA. If ambiguous, ask.

### 2. Run the diff

Get both views in one pass — the human summary to read aloud, and the
semantic-only JSON to reason over:

```bash
latexdiff-agent <OLD> <NEW> --summary -                 # human view
latexdiff-agent <OLD> <NEW> --compact --semantic-only   # the changes that matter
```

Useful filters (compose freely): `--min-severity high`, `--type citation`,
`--section Methods`, `--file sections/intro.tex`.

### 3. Persist a requested diff bundle

If the user asks to generate, create, save, or deliver a diff inside a research
project, resolve the project root and paper scope, then create the canonical
destination. A conversational request to explain changes without saving files
may remain stdout-only.

```bash
STAMP=$(date '+%Y-%m-%d-%H%M')
OUT="<project-root>/reviews/<scope>/<check>"
BASE="$OUT/$STAMP"
mkdir -p "$OUT"
latexdiff-agent <OLD> <NEW> --summary "$BASE.md"
latexdiff-agent <OLD> <NEW> --compact --semantic-only --json "$BASE.changes.json"
```

Add same-stem companions only when useful:

```bash
latexdiff-agent <OLD> <NEW> --json "$BASE.full.json"
latexdiff-agent <OLD> <NEW> --latexdiff "$BASE.diff.tex"
git diff <OLD> <NEW> > "$BASE.source.patch"  # source-level comparison only
```

Compile `.diff.tex` through the `latex` workflow when the user requests a visual
diff; keep intermediate build artifacts in `out/` and copy only the final
`.diff.pdf` beside the bundle. Record the two stable comparison inputs in the
Markdown report; never expose disposable `/tmp` paths as the authoritative
baseline/current identifiers.

### 4. Report

1. Lead with the summary line: total changes, semantic-impact count, impact score.
2. List the **semantic-impact** changes grouped by section, each with its
   `file:line`, type, and severity. These are the ones worth attention.
3. Note (don't dump) the trivial/formatting/move changes as a count.
4. If the user wanted a changelog or response-letter "summary of changes", phrase
   the semantic changes as prose bullets — but **do not edit the manuscript**
   (`rules/manuscript-edit-budget.md`); hand the bullets back for them to place.

## Cross-References

| Skill | Relationship |
|-------|-------------|
| `latex` | Compiles documents; this skill compares versions of them |
| `review-artefact-routing` | Governs the scoped producer route and same-stem companion contract |
| `strategic-revision --external` | Consumes this as evidence for the R&R "summary of changes"; it does not turn internal findings into venue claims |
| `preprint` | Consumes this for a vN→vN+1 changelog on version bump |
| `paper-critic` / `referee2-reviewer` | Can take `--semantic-only` JSON to focus a re-review on what changed |
| `packages/latex-diff/README.md` | Full CLI flags, schema, and design notes |