How can I use `git diff --color-words` outside a Git repository?

Question

How can I get output like in git diff --color-words, but outside Git?

Closest thing is wdiff -t, but it underlines/inverts things instead

Answer 1

If I'm inside a git repository (git v2.3.3) :

• git diff --color-words doesn't work (no output)
• git diff --no-index doesn't accept --color-words nor --color arguments

Using wdiff is possible, configured to use colors, rather than underlined :

wdiff -n \
  -w $'\033[30;31m' -x $'\033[0m' \
  -y $'\033[30;32m' -z $'\033[0m' \
  … | less -R

Source : https://www.gnu.org/software/wdiff/manual/html_node/wdiff-Examples.html (modified to use foreground colors rather than background colors)

Hope it helps.