Exclude A File From A Diff Output

When running git diff <SHA>, you'll see output for all files changed at that commit. It's the same if you do a range of commits (e.g. git diff <SHA1>...<SHA2>).

If you are looking for changes in a particular part of the tree, then other changes will be a distraction. Some generated files, such as yarn.lock, can create a lot of noise in the diff output.

You can get a more focused output by excluding certain files and paths. The syntax for doing that, however, is a bit wonky.

To exclude a file, you have to add an argument formatted like ':(exclude)<filename>.

For instance, to exclude yarn.lock:

$ git diff <SHA> -- . ':(exclude)yarn.lock'

or to exclude an entire directory:

$ git diff <SHA> -- . ':(exclude)spec/**'

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