We address the need for precise and fine-grained code differencing tools in Solidity, the primary language for smart contracts on EVM-based blockchain platforms. SoliDiffy generates fine-grained edit scripts, which are crucial for tasks such code reviews and automated smart contract repair.
Browsable Diffs
You can browse through our diff pairs and their respective edit scripts generated by both SoliDiffy and Difftastic.
SoliDiffy Edit Script
Difftastic Edit Script
Research Questions
- RQ1: How does the performance of SoliDiffy compare against Difftastic?
- RQ2: How do Solidity source code differencing tools perform when there are multiple changes in the Solidity source code?
- RQ3: How does the type of syntactic changes in file affect performance of Solidity code differencing?
- RQ4: What is the developer experience for understanding AST-differences produced by SoliDiffy and Difftastic?
Results
RQ1: SoliDiffy consistently produces fewer changes across projects, reflecting its precise approach. Compared to Difftastic, which has a broader and less consistent range, SoliDiffy maintains lower edit distances, making it advantageous for minimizing transformations.
RQ2: The edit distance for both SoliDiffy and Difftastic scales linearly with the number of mutations applied, demonstrating that SoliDiffy can handle complex modifications effectively without compounding effects on performance.
RQ3: The type of syntactic changes significantly impacts performance, with SoliDiffy showing superior results in handling code block mutations and Difftastic performing better with simpler text changes.
RQ4: Developer feedback indicates that SoliDiffy's edit scripts provide a clearer representation of code changes in complex cases, although some simpler changes are more effectively captured by Difftastic’s textual approach.
| Tool | Clear Diffs | More Complex Cases |
|---|---|---|
| SoliDiffy | Consistent | Superior |
| Difftastic | Effective for Simple Changes | Struggles with Complexity |