Create patches on Mac OS X

The UNIX utility diff is available on MacOS X. You need to open Terminal.app to access the shell. See HOWTO: Creating patches for details on how to use diff or svn diff.

You will need to download and install Xcode (free subscription required - look under "Developer Tools"). This will install diff, cvs, and a whole suite of Apple development tools. Alternative versions (not Xcode) of svn are also available using Fink

Xcode also includes a GUI solution for creating patches in Apple's IDE.

FileMerge is a great utility for diff comparisons in the Mac OS X environment. It has a great graphic user interface and is simple to use without learning complicated Terminal command lines. The GUI provides a traditional left and right side comparison layout, and the ability to manually review and save changes. It is possibly the only free diff UI available for Mac OS X developers.

This utility comes free bundled Xcode, a free development tools package offered with any Mac OS X operating system or by a free subscription to the Apple developer site.

FileMerge is only 700k in size but a full install of Apple's Xcode asks for 3.4 GB of disk space! In order to get the application installed and use the minimum amount of storage space, run the Xcode custom installer and select only the "Developer Tools Software". This will provide you with the application you want and only 180 MB of disk usage.

There is an installation walkthrough provided here.

Oreillynet.com has a great tutorial to help you get started using the application for diff functions.