How to make "git difftool --dir-diff" working with vim

Question

I am happy working with git difftool --dir-diff with beyond compare to show overall diff across directories and files and navigate through them.

However when it comes to vimdiff, seems it do not support dir diff from git. A git alias I created is as the following

    dirdiff = difftool --ignore-submodules --tool=vimdiff --dir-diff --no-symlinks

After I do things like git dirdiff HEAD~1 HEAD, it list my 2 directories on left and right with vim built in netrw file browser. However, press enter on any of them don't make folder expanded on both sides, not to mention open a file with side by side diff.

vimdiff works fine for showing single file diff in visual mode, is there a way to make it also works for --dir-diff?

Answer 1

I find a solution from another stackoverflow thread. The answer is provided by @user744629. Following his suggestion

• install vim dirdiff
• add the following configuration in .gitconfig

[alias]
    dirdiff = difftool --ignore-submodules --dir-diff --no-symlinks --tool=vimdirdiff

[difftool "vimdirdiff"]
    cmd = vim -f '+next' '+execute \"DirDiff\" argv(0) argv(1)' $LOCAL $REMOTE

After that you can use git dirdiff HEAD HEAD~1 to view side by side diff.